^.^ 



PUBlJC CEREMONIES 

\\\ CONNJ^qTjAN W.rn 

THE WAR MtEMORlALS 

11? \ ' I ' I ' ! i I P i 

, -.T| I 

THE QplriONS 

||if:;: 

GFN. WADE HAMPTOk 

HON, C. H. SiSviONTON 







DrJ^. TCOMER PORTER. 



£i: 



BAT'Gr.Y WACNiH. 




Glass ti2l 

Book_ 



.5" 



Ik. 



^^ 



K 



\) 



(^ 



PUBLIC CEREMONIES 



IN CONNECTION WITH 



THE WAR MEMORIALS 



OF THE 




mmmj 



WITH 



THE ORATIONS 

OF 

GEN. WADE HAMPTON, 

HON. C. H. SIMONTON, 

Dr. a. TOOMER porter 

WITH THE ROLLS, MONFMEXTAL IXSriiliTIOXS, 
&c., &c. 



CHAHI.K.STOM, S. C. : 

I)\VAKI> I'KKHY \- Co.. ."-iTATIONKK'S AND rKINTKK' 

•JIT .Mi-otiiiu:St., Op|.. Charl.ston Ilotol. 

1894. 



t^ll 



5 



tK 



' Of coyi 



THE W. L. 1. WAR MEMORIAL. 



THh FIRST CONFEDERATE MONUMENT ERECTED 
IN THE SOUTH. 



Three decades liave nearly past away since the flag of the 
Southern Confederacy was furled at Apponnitox, Va., and 
at Greensboro, N. C, and it is only now, when the century 
is drawing to a close, that the story of the Washington 
Light Infantry war monument can be written in full. 

The broad shadows of "the war between the States" 
were yet resting on historic Charleston, when the survivors 
of the three war companies of the " W. L. I." came together 
in 18H6 and founded the Washington Light Infantry Charita- 
ble Association for the purpose of preserving the memory 
of their comrades who died during the war, and also for 
assistino^ the families of those whom death or wounds, or 
the results of the war, had rendered destitute. 

From meagre resources this was done, and although the 
sums of money so expended, were not large, the true senti- 
ment of loyalty to the " Lost Cause," and sympathy for 
those, who were suffering from its disastrious results, were 
thus warmly expressed. 

At a regular monthly meeting of the Association, held at 
Masonic Hall, on the evening of the 22d September, 1868, a 
resolution was adopted, ananimousbj, appointing a committee 
to inquire and report " on the expediency and propriety of 
holding a Fair, for the purpose of raising the means to erect 
a monument to the memory ot our comrades who were killed 
or died of disease during the late war." 

In May, 1869, this Fair was held, and despite the then 
impoverished condition of the community a fund of about 
three thousand dollars was realized, and plans and estimates 
invited for the proposed war memorial. This was in the 
early years succeeding the civil war when the unexcelled 



re.sources of our State were undeveloped and tlio be^autilnl 
Urcy i>-ranite of recent years was wholly uid^nown, for monu- 
mental })urposes : but the sentiment was tixed, to use only 
Southern nnitei'ial for the monument, and in executing this 
[)urpose, a contract was made, for a monument of Tennessee 
marble; a lot was purchased in Magnolia Cemetery, and 
the foundation of the first monument to the memory of 
any Confederate dead was laid. It is believed to be the 
first war memorial erected on either side — Federal or Con- 
federate ! 

The Idth day of June, 1870, being the anniversary of the 
Jiattle of Secessionville, James Island, in which the com- 
mand sustained a heavy loss, was tixed upon for the unveil- 
ing of the monument. Although on that day the weather 
was lowering and the rain fell, it did not deter the citizen.s 
of (Charleston from turning out en masse to do honor to the 
memory of the brave men who had fought in their behalf. 
At an early hour in the afternoon the principal stores were 
closed, and the people began to Hock towards the City of 
the Bead, and by five o'clock the streets of Charleston 
seemed deserted of the population. The various Masonic 
Lodges in the city marched to the depot in procession, and 
w^ere joined there by the various Fire Companies, (in citizen's 
dress,) the Carolina Rifle Club, the various German Societies, 
and the Hibernian Society. A long train of thirteen cars 
carried the crowds who flocked thither. Arrived on the 
ground, the crowd soon augmented to over six thousand, 
and the ceremonies began. 

On the platform were the oflicers of the Grand Lodge of 
Freemasons, Odd Fellows, oflicers of the Survivors' Assoei- 
ation, and the Civic Societies. FromiiKMit. were (Jen. Wade 
Hamilton, the Orator of the day; Rev. E. T. \Viid<lei', the 
I'oet of "the occasion: Rev. E. (A Edgerton, CMia[)laiii of 
theday; liev. A.T. I'orter, Major I)arker,and other citizens. 
Col. Simonton presided. 

The exercises were begun with a prayer, by Chaplain 
F]dgerton. 

Rev. E. T. Winkler then recited his patliL'tic rorm. writ- 
ten for this memorial occasion. 



.) 
■VlirrUS KT VALOK. 

A gracol'ul pillur in tlie waste, 

A shriiic to love and memory deai', 

With arts and arms, and trophies traced, 
The Eutavv guardians proudly rear: 
liriiiginy the tender tribute here— 

Tiie sculptured spoil, the laurelled prize, 

Which to the noblest of her name, 

Her foremost on the lists of fame,— 

The conquered State denies. 



For death may come, but duty lives. 
And leverence and love remain ; 

The sacrifice that nature gives, 

When dust must sink to earth again. 
Is not the rending of the chain 

That bound us to the valiant shade 
J>ut Honor claims the immortal urn. 
For lamps that languish as they biiin. 

And llowers that bloom to fade. 



Amuml ihi.s trnipleij monument 

What memories gather, proud and gramh 
From tjumter's bastions brown and rt'nl ; 

From Wagner's dunes of billowy sand ; 

From lines whpre Johnson's beacons stand 
Where Pinckney sways hi.^ realm nf blue; 

Where every palm and every wave 

Hccall the triumphs of our brave. 
When 3Ioultrie's eagles flew. 



Her own the trunks of prostrate pine, 

Thronged nightly when the " chureli tali bKw 
Her own the grasses of the line, 

Once gemmed with bU)od instead of dew ; 

Her own the century oaks that threw 
Their shelter oer the jasmine flowers : — 

I'.iit the sweet genius of the place, 

lis joy, its beauty and its grace — 
Its noblest life— are ours. 



n 

Uc.-uiiic, >ort Niiture, tliy <li)inaiii ; 

lloiil hloodini; lioiirts witli Imlnis of peace 

iiiil keep wiUiin thy t;entle roigri 
The inagie token we release, 
Nor let that native virtue cca.se, • 

To which this altar pile is given - 
Its hase aglow with fields of fame, 
Us slahs that guard eacli shining nairie, 

it.- spire that flames to lieaven. 



Alter tlif iiiixcilitiL:' of tlic iiioiiiiniciit, Coloticl SiiiKJiiton 
inhiMliiccd (iciicral Wade I liuii|it()ii, w lio wa.s received vs'itli 
Idiid a|.|ili(ii<r, iiii<l d(Tl\cl'cd tlic rollowilio; eloqiUMit 

A1)J)RESS. 

'I'iii' (Iciicfal, addrcssiiio- the Tresideiit aixl o'ciitleiiieii of 
tliu Wusliiiiotoii Lio'lit Iiifkntry (Miaritaltlu Association, said : 

In acceptinu' llie jiosition assigned to me by your kindness, 
in tlie -solemn cereTiionics of the day, many and coniiicting 
enKilidns stiire(l my lieaft. On the one hand, a painful 
consciousness of my inability to discharge the task imposed 
in a manner worthy of the occasion, oppresses me and bids 
me keeji silent ; while on the other hand, a sense of duty to 
m\- li\iiiu', ;ts well as my dead comradc^s, impels me to /join 
ill this demonstration of honor to those who are sleeping 
beneath the soil they gave their lives to defend. Let me, 
then, place on their tomb a votive offering, which, unworthy 
as it may be of our noble dead, has at least the merit of 
coming Irom a heart tilled with sympathy for the cause in 
which they tell ; admiration for their devoted patriotism 
and heroic courage; respect and affection for their memory, 
and prolound grief for their untimely death. There are 
other motives, scarcely less potent, why my voice should not 
be silent on any occasion where honor is paid to the living 
or dead of the Washington Light infantry. 

Have \ou forgotten, comi-ades, of tiiat gallant corps, — I 
shall always remend)er it with jiride, — that when our State 
called her sons to defend her, and that command was or^'au- 



7 

ized, whose glorious l)aiiner, unsullied by any stain of defeat, 
untarnished by any breath of dishonor, was borne so hero- 
ically through the storm of nearly every great historic 
battle of the war — it was the W^ashington Light Infantry 
that gave me the first company of the Hampton Legion. 
Can you suppose that I have forgotten the men of '' ('ompany 
A ? " that company which for four years of heroic though 
unequal war, stood always unshaken on the right of the 
Legion ? Can I forget that devoted friend, that unselfish 
patriot, that gallant soldier, that noble gentleman, Johnson, 
who was your first and one of your costliest sacrifices laid 
on the altar of our country? Can I forget the gifted Petti- 
grew, who lived long enough to achieve an undying glory 
for himself, but who died too soon for his mourning country ? 
Standing over the graves which hold the hallowed dust of 
so many patriotic soldiers, looking upon yonder tomb, wliere 
are inscribed the names of forty-five of my loved and trusted 
comrades of that single company, which you gave me, how 
can I forget the men who fought and died by my side ? 
Can I, turning from the lamented dead to the honored 
living, looking once again upon the familiar faces of the 
men whom danger tauglit me to trust — forget the friends 
who never betrayed that trust ? Can I look upon CV)nner, 
as he leans upon those crutches, which tell proudly how 
nobly he discharged his duty, and then forget the Washing- 
ton Light Infantry? Oh, no! my friends. Memories and 
associations, such as these, are amongst the most cherished, 
though saddest of my heart, and they bind me to my, old 
comrades by ties which death may, but nothing else can, 
ever sever. They remind me, too, of my duties to the dead, 
and amongst them there is none more sacred than that, 
which calls upon me to vindicate their motives, to praise 
their patriotism, to commend their example, and to protect 
their memory. These are the duties which devolve ui»on 
us, the sad survivors ol" that gallant band who, at the call 
of their State, rallied to her defence. Mourning over the 
graves of "our slain." who, '^ for faitli and for freedom, lay 
slaughtered in vain : "" standing amid the wreck of our dearest 
hopes, looking at the ruin of our country, witnessing the 



steady l)nt rajtid overthrow of TJepublican institutions and 
constitutional libertv. wliat is left to cheer n? to future exer- 
ti(>n. lint tlic liailowc'd ineinories of the past — that }»ast 
wliich was made so glorious In* our great deach Amid that 
nohle and, alas, vast throng, none have done liiglier lionor 
to their State, none deserve deeper gratitude, than the men 
who died in her cause. Not until death has placed his 
etei-nal seal u^ton the living, and stamped with his irrevocable 
de<'ree all tlie actions of their lives, can thev he trulv esti- 
mated. The judgment we pass upon our contemjioraries is 
too often warped \)\ envy, jealousy, [tersonal dislike, or })olit- 
ical ju'ejudice ; and it is not until death has closed their 
career here that we can recognize the greatness of their 
actions, or the integrity of their purposes. The men to 
whom you dedicate this monument as a testimonial of your 
respect, gratitude and affection, have passed this last dread 
ordeal, and we deem them worthy to he enshrined in a pco- 
})le's heart, and to receive the grateful ]»laudits of a ]ieo])le's 
voice. 

" A poiiple'.s voice ! We are a people yet, 

Tho' all men else their nobler dreams forget; 
Confused by brainless mobs and lawless powers, 

We have a voice with which to pay the debt 

Of boundless love and reverence and regret 

To those great men who fought and ke{)t it ours." 

They fought to vindicate the great truths enunciated in 
"It!, and to defend those inalienable rights established by our 
fathers, and bequeathed to us as our noblest heritage. For 
these they fought in vain ; and of all the attributes of free- 
dom, tlu^re is left to us oidy a people's voice, Avhich, though 
stifled, calls Heaven to witness that we were sincere and 
honest in the convictions which prompted our actions, which 
still asserts our unshaken faith in the Justice of our cause, 
and which, rising from every heart in our desolate land, 
utters lamentations for the precious blood that was so lav- 
ishly l)ut so vainly shed in our country's cause. We, my 
friends, who were the actors in that mighty drama which 
for four years filled the world's stage, may not be competent 
to pronounce an impartial judgment as to the justice of that 



9 

cause. Tinic, with its sootliinu' intluoiicc, nnist elapse, and 
the passions (^'nii-cndcTrd hy tlie war must cool, before the 
record can he fidly nnidc up for history to pronounce her 
liiial verdict. Uelievinu- tliat Truth, Uii^ht and dustice 
were on our side, we suhnnt our case, without one doubt, to 
the impartial Judu-inent of })Osterity, reserving to ourselves 
the right of appeal to the (ilreat Tribunal above, wdiere the 
Suprcnu' Judge of the Universe, who reads our hearts, will 
pnuiounce that decree, which will, through all eternity, Jus- 
tify or condemn us. AYe know that the men, wdiose names 
are written on that niai'ble, l)elieved, as firndy as they did 
in the existence of a God, in the justice of the cause for 
which they died ; wa^ know that they sacrificed peace, com- 
fort, life, to encounter war, privation, death, at the call and 
the service of their State ; and knowing this, we place them 
high on the roll of those patriotic and heroic dead who 
make up the great army of martyrs of Liberty. Nor should 
their memory be less dear to us, or less honored, because 
the}' fell in a cause which God, in Tlis providence, has seen 
fit to let fail. The heathen may deify the conquering hero, 
while lie condemns tliose who fail, to exile, chains or death, 
for witli him, success is the onl}' criterion of merit; but not 
so the Christian. Right, truth, justice, constitute the stand- 
ard by which he measures all things. The test he applies 
to the actions of men, is the law which God himself has 
made. I^y this law, w^e can distinguish the lines which di- 
vide right from wrong, as readily as we can recognize those, 
which separate light from darkness. We know^ that in the 
economy of (lod, evil is often permitted to prevail over good 
on this earth. We see virtue trampled into dust by vice. 
Wc sec lil)crty prostrate at the feet of tyranny. We see 
religion superseded by fanaticism. We sec intelligence, 
virtue, [jatriotism thrust aside, while ignorance, vice and 
selfishness usuri) the high places of the earth. These are 
the apparent anomalies which strike us, when we consider 
the Almighty government of this Avorld. But when guided 
by the light of revelation, we look more closely into tliat 
wondrous system, and comprehend more fully tlie scheme 
of that faith, which springing from Calvary, is lighting with 



Id 

it.s sublime (ruths everv fornci- of tljo oartli, wc can recon- 
ciU' tlio (liHicnltics wliicli stniid in our way. That relin'ion. 
tauu'ht li_v the Sax'ioiii', w liich wc |irofess. nowlicrc pi'oiiiises 
that wc shall be rewarded in this world for well <loin<i\ It 
does not ]»roniise tliat virtue shall here triumph, while vice 
is punislu'd; it does not j)romise that the cause of liberty, 
sustained though it may be by truth, courage, patriotism, 
will necessarily succeed when it has to contend with unli- 
censed power, directed by aml)ition, hatred and fear. No 
such promises are held out l)v the Divine Founder of our 
religion to Uis followers. On the contrary, they are explic- 
itly told that on this earth they are to look for trials, disap- 
pointuuMits and afHictioiis : that tliey will often see the 
powers of darkness holding high carnival of crime, wiieiT 
they hoped to see virtue exercising her benign and peaceful 
sway : that it does not come within the scope of the Chris- 
tian religioi] to punish evil and reward the good in this 
world, and that not until the last trump shall summon the 
(juick and the dead to judgment, will the great Judge rectify 
all the wrongs, punish all the crimes and reward all the 
virtues which have existed since the foundation of tlie earth. 
It is tliis sublime faith that sustains the Christian patriot as 
he struggles to bear his own afHictioiis, or mourns over his 
country's loss of liberty ; for he knows that if he has dis- 
charged his duty to his God and to his country, he will 
sooner or later surely reap an exceeding great reward. 

Let us, then, my friends and comrades, cling with unre- 
laxing grasp and unshaken confidence to the faith that is in 
us. Let not the angry threats of oppression, or the syren 
voice of temptation, drive or allure us to forsake it. Above 
all, be not misled b}- that unmeaning jargon, which tells you 
that your cause was submitted to the arbitrament of arms, 
and that the sword has decided that cause against you. 
The sword has never, nor will it ever, decide a principle or 
establish a truth. It can, as it has often done, overthrow a 
just canst', and make might take the place of right: but it 
can never reverse the immutable laws of (iod. and make 
what is evil appear right in His sight. A noble cause, up- 
held heroically by honor, courage and [•atriotisni, may die 



11 

iiloiig- with it8 sup})()i-ters. A o-reat truth never dies ; l)iit 
eternal as the God-head tVoin which it springs, it lives for- 
ever, amid all the changes of dynasties, the wreck of 
empires, and the death of nations. It is, too, as false in 
fact as in logic, to assert that the s\vord can or does decide 
justly hetween right and wrong. With the sword, tlie 
Goths and Vandals drenched the fair fields of Italy with 
the best blood of her sons. It gave nearly half the world 
to Mahomet. It allowed the Turks to trample out the civil- 
ization of Greece. Its keen edge dismembered Poland. It 
left Hungary bleeding at the feet of the oppressors. It 
turned over Spain and Portugal to the tender mercies of the 
tSaracen, and on this continent and in our day, directed by 
unscrupulous power against prostrate States, reeking with 
fratricidal blood, it enforces the laws which it alone has 
made. Tell me not, then, that the sword can rightfully 
turn the scales of justice. It is the exponent of tyranny, 
not the arbiter of truth — the badge of the tyrant and the 
executioner, not the symbol of justice. It is not at all 
inconsistent with these view's that w^e, as a conquered people, 
should observe scrupulously the terms dictated by the sword 
and accepted by us. AVe can do this, and should do it, in 
perfect good faitli : but we should claim and exercise the 
God-given right of freedom of opinion. We acknowledge 
that the cause for which these men died is lost, but we shouhl 
be false to them, false to that cause, were we to admit that 
they were, because of failure, necessarily wrong. We be- 
lieve that they were right, and we therefore honor and 
respect their memory. If they were right, time will vindi- 
cate the action and record their fame. If wa'ong, 

'• It was a grievous fault, 
And grievously have the}- answered it." 

We, comrades of the Washington Light Infantry, we, 
who gave our all to the same cause, in which oui' brothers 
fell, can entertain no doubt as to the })lace, which will be 
accorded them in history. Stignuitized as rebels, posterity 
will, we hope and believe, give to them the more ap})ro- 
priate name of jiatriots. I>elie\-ing this, we fear not to 



12 

accept, from tlic coiKjueror, the epitliet of rebel. < >nr iiiicct^- 
tors had once the .siiiue term applied to them. iumI I accept 
a.>^ a complete refutation of all dishoiioi' attached to the 
woi'd. the iiohic language used in rciiard to it hy a great 
statesnum and patriot of Kng-land. ••The term I'el^cl,"" said 
Chas. Fox, " is no certain mark of diso-mce. Vov all the 
great apostles of liberty, the saviors of their country, the 
benefactors of mankind, in all ages, have been called rebels, 
and Ave even owe the constitution, which enables us to sit 
in this house, to a rebellion."' 

Nor are there wanting men at the North, who, rising high 
above the prejudices of their section, and the trammels of 
popular opinion, dare to assert, in language as lofty, senti- 
ments as noble, as those so eloquently ex[)ressed hy this great 
orator. It was my good fortune, on a recent occasion in 
New York, to hear one who would l)e an honor to any 
country, address an audience comjtosed of Southern as well 
as Northern men. In touching the great issues, which had 
so lately arrayed the two sections in war, he drew a glowing 
picture of patriotism. He told us how this virtue, beginning 
with one's family, spreads in ever-widening \\aves till it 
embraced all we loved as country: and then turning to the 
Southerners who were present, he brought tears of gratified 
pride to their eyes Ijy exclaiming: " And, gentlemen, the 
only reasou why you will not hereafter be regarded as the 
noblest patriots who ever lived, is simply bei-ause it has 
happened, that George Washington fought in the same 
cause before you did." 

You, m}' friends, of the Light Infantry, who bear the 
name the Father of his Country has made iminortal, must 
feel your hearts swcel with }ialriotic pride, when you know- 
that the great and good of otli«'r lands dceni you not un- 
worthy to be placed alongside of Washington, ^'ou beai' 
his name, and you have proved yourselves woi'thy to do so. 
There are otlier historic associations of }»eculiar and i)roud 
interest, which connect your organizatiou closely with the 
great nanje it bears. Amid that grand group of revolu- 
tionary heroes, who illustrated by theii' deeds in the great 
rebellion of '70, in the history of South Carolina, no name 



is held ill liiu'liL'i' ostooni than William ^\'asllilll>;t()l^ the 
wortliv kiiisiiiaii and follower of his illtisti'ious namesake. 
On the bloody fields of Cowpens and Entaw, his glorious 
l)anner — tlie precious gift of devoted woman — swept thr(nigli 
carnage to victory. That same banner of AVashiiigton, 
which had been consecrated l)y the })i'ayers of woman — bii])- 
ti/.ed in the best blood of (/'arolina — sanctified by the cause 
of freedom in which it had waved — venerated by our whole 
people as the syudjol of victory, the ensign of liberty — was 
committed by Washington's widoAV to the AYashington Light 
Infantry, and her own honored hands presented it. When 
she gave this flag, which her patriot husband liad so nobly 
borne through the war of independence, she solemnly ad- 
jured your company to defend it, if need be, with their 
lives: to maintain its honor unsullied, and to be forever 
true to the great cause — the cause of freedom — in whicli it 
had first been unfurled. Afen of the Washington Light 
Infantry, sons of men who fought by the side of Marion, of 
Sumter, of Moultrie, of Pickens, of Rutledu'e, of Laurens, 



of Hayne, of Huger, and of Washington, how luive you 
kept that solemn charge ? Let Manassas and Secession ville. 
and Seven Pines, and Sharpsburg, and Cold Harbor, and 
Gaines' Mill, and Malvern Hill, and Drury's Bluff, and Fort 
Sumter, and Petersburg, and Battery Wagner, and Benton- 
ville, and C-hickamauga, and Fredericksburg, and a score 
of other glorious battle-tields, inscribed in imperishable 
letters on that immortal banner of yours, answer. You, the 
men who stand here to-day, and those whose names are 
written on yonder slab, have fought under the same flag, in 
the same cause your fathers did, and fought with a patriot- 
ism as lofty, a courage as high, a devotion as noble, as ever 
animated the Iiearts of your patriot sires. You ha\e [>roved 
that the blood which flows in your veins is not degenerate, 
and that you have been worthy custodians of the precious 
charge entrusted to your keeping. Be true, then, each of 
you, f conjui-e you. now and ever, whatevei' trials, vicissi- 
tudes, or sufferings beset you, to your lineage, your princi- 
ples, your renown. " Let all the ends thou ainfst at l)e thy 
(Jod's, thy Country's and Truth's: then if thou fallest, thou 
tallest a blessed martyr." 



14 

r>c'si(U's all tlicse iiicoiilives to noble actions, pi-csenle'd by 
tiie ^reat traditions and hallowed nieniorios of tiic past, you 
have many others connected with the formation and history 
of your corps, and in the sacred ol)jects contempUited now 
by your Association, ^'ou cannot forget that the Washing- 
ton Light Infantry owes its existence to tlie patriotic im- 
pulse which called its founders to repel foreign invasion, 
and nuuU' them resort to arms to defend that lil)erty which 
their fathers had achieved. Need I recall to your memory 
the name of your first captain — a name justly dear to every 
C^arolinian's heart, honored whei-ever integrity of pur[)Ose, 
purity of life, power of intellect are esteemed — the name of 
one, of whom Henry Clay said : " Of all the men I have ever 
known, the best man,tlje wisest, the purest, and the greatest 
statesman, was William Lowndes." On the roll of your 
com|)any, illustrated first by this great name, are to be found 
many others worthily distinguished in the annals of our 
State, fit successors of your illustrious c-a])tain. Nor need 
you fear to place the record you made for yourselves during 
the late war by the side of that of any other command, nor 
to compare the olficers and men ^\■hom you gave to the 
" Lost Cause," with any who served the Confederacy. You 
gave three general ofiicers — Pettigrew, Conner and Logan — 
all worthily distinguished in that cause, and with them, as 
field officers, Johnson, DeTreville and Simonton, while 
almost every command from this State drew from your 
ranks, so prolific of gallant soldiers, many of its most eflfi- 
cient subaltern officers and men. How the i'aid< and file 
of the Washington Light Infimti-y did their duty to their 
country is told in mute but eloquent language, by the long- 
list of honored names that meet your eyes on this monu- 
ment, which you have dedicated reverently and attection- 
ately to your noble dead. Well worthy are they of all the 
honor you can pay them, for they surely fell blessed martyrs ; 
and this conviction on our part is full of comfort to those 
who see tlie names of their kindred written on the South's 
roll of honor, that list which records her dead I 

1 know how vnxw is all hunum consolation lo the heart 
that is called upon to give up some object ai'ound wliicli tlu' 



1o 

tciKlcTcst altcctions eliistn-. F know that DUiiiy u |»areiit in 

our inouniing: land, as lie looks through eyes blinded b}' the 

■tears that will well up from his heart at some loved name, 

perhaps on that tomb, or some stone that covers all that 

was mortal of one who was his pride, his hope, his darling, 

cries out in the pathetic language wTung from a bereaved 

father's heart : "Oh, my son, Absalom! my son, my son 

Absalom ! Would God T had died for thee ! 0, Absalom, 

my son, my son I " I can understand, I can feel ! — I have felt 

all this. But still, feeling deeply for those who mourn their 

kindred slain, knowing how and for what our sons have 

died, cannot each one who has given his children to his 

country, concealing the grief of the father in the holy zeal 

of the patriot, say proudly, as he stands by the grave of 

his son: 

" Why, then, God"s soldier be he! 
Had I ns many sons as I have hairs, 
I would not wish thein a fairer death.'' 

It is right and [)roper that you should preserve the mem- 
ory of our dead heroes, would that we could erect to them 
a monument whose foundation should be as eternal as the 
great truths for wliieh they died; lofty' as their tame; pure 
as ouv love ; lasting as our gratitude ; rising proudly from 
the earth that holds their clay, and pointing with its spot- 
less shaft to that Heaven where we devoutly trust that they 
are now at rest, ft is a touching and beautiful article of 
belief in that strange system of theology which takes its 
name from its founder — one of the most wonderful men of 
the last century — that those wdio fall in battle, fighting hon- 
estly and truly for their country, are transported to Heaven ; 
and though no such proniise is held out by our creed, it 
surely is not inconsistent witli ils holy spirit or divine teach- 
ing. Tlie trust of the jiatriot and the faith of the C^hristian 
nuiy then unite in the hope, so full of joy and consolation, 
that our dead patriots — " God's soldiers "" — purified l>y the 
great oblation of their lives for their country's liberty, stand- 
ing now in the presence of the Eternal God, looking down 
with griitefu] hearts on this solemn scene, bringing their 
prayers for you, who are now manifestinii' vour reverence 



and \o\\' toi' tlu'iii, t(» tilt.' Vi'vy t'ool-stoo] of llic TIiI'diu' of 
Grace, ai-e iii\okiii<x witli devout su|)plieuti()iis from the 
Father of Mercies, for yon, all those rich Ijlessino's which 
lie, and He alone, can bestow. 



Thus ended an early and memorial Confederate reunion 
in Charleston ; among the first, if not the very first gath- 
ering of Ex -Confederates ! When we look back at those 
times, and recall the public conditions then existing : 
adventurers from distant States and ignorant negroes, holding 
the high cfiices of State, a Carpet-Bag Mayor in office? 
elected by negro votes, before the legal right to vote had 
been constitutionally bestowed on the freedmen — in ever}- 
respect a most discouraging and offensive public condition — 
but despite all these surroundings the W. L. I. acted I 
The Survivors of the old Corps actually planned and built 
a monument to their Confederate Dead, in such depressing 
times ! 

The successful result of what to the W. L. I. membership 
was properly regarded as a great occasion, was to end in 
disappointment, so far as the monument w^as concerned : 
in a few years it became apparent, that the confidence of the 
W. L. I. had been misplaced, that the Tennessee marble 
had been polished up with varnish, and that the stone itself 
was not suited to stand the test of our climate; it was evi- 
dent, that the names of the W. L. I. dead, of the war, 
would not be preserved to posterity, as intended, and for 
several years, there was a growing disa])pointmeiit at this 
unexpected result. 

New conditions, however, were being evolved — and in 
April, 1877, (tov. lLam[)t()n was recognized as Governor-elect, 
and a new order of public affairs was fortunately begun. 

The post-bellum organizations of a " Charitable Associa- 
tion " and " Riffe Club " passed iiito a Re-chartered W. L. I. 
as a military corps: its officers were commissioned 'ny Gov. 
Haiiipton. 'I'hese W . L. I's of a new generation, backed l)y 
all the old W. Jj. I. infiuences, undertook in bSSl the 
renewal of the war monument, and the removal of the old 
one, which had become ver\- unsin-jitlv. This, as it turned 



17 

out, |)i(>\(.'(l a lar^-f iiiidci'taking, and iin'olved thirteen 
years of elKort to aeconii)lish the })resent satisfactory result; 
many })lans were evolved, and various resources appealed to 
in providing" the four or five thousand dollars, with which 
to rear tlie new and imposing column in indestructihle 
(^ii'oliiia gi'ey granite, and its records in gun-metal bronze. 
It is an honor to record some of the incidents associated 
with the new monument. The ladies of C.'harleston were 
constant and devoted to this new Confederate work ; thei/ 
have iicrcv faded their Jhig.'s ; the General Asseml)ly of South 
(Carolina voted to the C/orps a battle-scarred Confederate 
field-piece, for easting the five panels, one of which has 
been moidded into the C'Oat-of-Arms of the State, and 
adorns and symbolizes the south front of the column. The 
('ity Council in 1890, voted a site, in Washington Square, 
for this war memorial — the most central, desirable and 
appi'opriate in the city, and in the ensuing year sufficient 
progress had been made to begin this patriotic Company 
work. The following invitation was issued in anticipation 
of Washington's Birtliday, 1891 : 

Charleston, S. C, February 10, 1^91. 

The honor of your presence is requested at the Ceremony of the Laying 
of Corner Stone of the New Monument of The Washington Light 
Infantry, in Washington Square, on Monday, the 23rd day of February, 
18'.)1, at eleven o'clock A. M. 

Chas. H. Simonton, Chairman, Ex-Captain and President AV. L. I. 
Veteran Association. C. P Poppenheim, Frank E. Taylor, T. S. Inglesby, 
Comj«iny A., Hampton Legion Infantry, A N. V. .1. L. Honour, J. L. 
Shcppard, Wm. E. Holmes, Company A, 2r)lh S. C. V. Henry I. Greer, 
T. (J. Simons, M. D., A. Walton Taft, Company B, 25th S. C. V. Lewis 
M. Hatch, Ex-Capt. and Senior Member. [1835.] Wm. A. Courtenay, 
Ex-Captain. R. C. (rilchrist. Major \V. L. I. Battalion. A. W. Marshall, 
Capt. Company A, W. L. I. Battalion. G. B. Edwards, Ex-Lieut., Secretary 
and Treasurer. 

IN IMl'EKlSll.VBLE GRANITE AND BRONZE. 

The ceremonies on Washington's Birthday, in respect to 
the large audience assembled, and the dee[) interest mani- 
fested were most impressive. The ladies of Charleston 
were [)resent in large numbers, and the windows and bal- 
conies of the City Hall and Fire-Proof Building and the 
spacious piazza of FiX-(3a})t. Henry Kavenel's former resi- 
dence was crowded with fair spectators. 



18 

Promptly at 11 o'clock the military arrived, iiiidcr coiii- 
maiid ot" Major Gilchrist. 

Tlie IJultalion of Citadel C-adets, as escort, under com- 
iiiaiid of Lieut. J. A. Towers, U. S. A. 

First Company, Capt. Frost. 

Second Company, Capt. Blythe. 

Third Company, Capt. Maiildin. 

Fourth Company, Capt. Whaley. 

Fifth Company, Lieut. McCully. 

Sixth Company, Lieut. Robertson. 

W. L. L, Company A., Capt. Marshall. 

W. L. I., Company B., Lieut. Cogswell. 
Judge Simonton presided. On the platform were Ex- 
Gov. Hagood, Ex-^Sfayor Courtenay, Col. Coward, C^ol. Z. 
Davis, Maj. J. F. Hart, Capt. James Armstrong, J. L. 
Honour and the W. L. I. Veteran Association, ('apt. 
Samuel Lord, Rev. C. S. Vedder, Prof. V. C. Dibble, Rev. 
E. C. Dargan. 

Two tlags, the Palmetto and the Stars and Stripes, were 
raised from poles erected at the north and south extrem- 
ities of the enclosure — the emblems of fealty to tlie State 
and the Union. Over the northeast corner of the Monu- 
ment's base the " Courtenay Colors " were lioisted, and just 
l)efore Maj. Gilchrist (in the absence of Judge Simonton, 
who was detained at home by reason of indisposition) 
addressed the assembly, the standard-bearers advanced with 
the historic ensign of the Company, the (^ol. Wm. Wash- 
ington Hag of the first Revolution stood in line on tlic base 
oT the Monnnicnt. 

MAJ. GILCHRIST 

then delivered the following address: 

Ladies and Gentlemen^ and Felloni-soldiers : 

The first Monument erected in the South (and perhaps in 
the United States) to the dead of the war between the States 
was that reared in Magnolia Cemetery by the Washington 
Liglit Infantry to perpetuate the memories of theii" dead 
comrades, fourteen officers and 10() privates, in IS"". 

The war ende(l in .hine, l<S(j,5, with tlie sun-ender of John- 



19 

stoii to Slu'rinan, l>ut I'c'tuniinii' peace' t'ontid the survivors 
of tlie two compiiules of the Washington Light Intantry 
captured at Fort Fisher, inmates of prison pens and forts 
at the Xorth, and the others of Company A, Hampton Le- 
gion, wending their weary way to desohited homes. Hut no 
sooner did they come together in their dear old " City by 
the Sea," though military rule held high carnival here, and 
all avenues of trade were tilled and controlled by aliens and 
strangers, even in 18(15, we find the earnest spmt of the 
Washington Light Lifantry active for rennion. It seemed 
to them a sacred duty to cherish the memories of those Avho 
had toiled with them in the weary march, stood by them on 
the crimson tield of battle, and had laid down their lives in 
obedience to the call of duty, and in pledge of their sincer- 
ity. And, even more sacred still was the obligation to pro- 
vide for the widows and orphans of their dear dead com- 
rades. 

The very first organization of Ex-Confederate soldiers 
was the Washington Light Infantry Charitable Association, 
founded in the early part of 18<;)6, in obedience to this sen- 
timent of duty. The first practical work undertaken was 
to care for the living, the widows and orphans of the 
Washington Light Infantry. For a long time the only 
Confederate pensioners were these. From a small begin- 
ning this has grown to a noble charity, and to-day thirty- 
one ladies receive substantial assistance. But while pro- 
viding for the living they could not forget their dead ; so 
they laboriously and persistently accumulated a fund with 
which to build a Monument. A successful Fair, given in 
1868, made the effort practicable, and in 1870 the Monu- 
ment of what was represented to be Tennessee marble, but 
which has proved but l)rown sandstone, was reared in Mag- 
nolia Cemetery. 

It was with pride and pleasure that the Washington 
Lio-ht Infantry saw their long-cherished desires crowned 
with success, and they thought that the names of their 
comrades who had died in battle, in hospital or on the 
wearv wayside, would be lianded down to many succeeding 
>;-enerations. 



20 

Alas I the Monument erected by pious handi^ has not 
accomplished the end for which designed. Not a decade 
had [)assed when it was discovered that the disintegrating 
effect at the seacoast climate was eating away the soft 
material of whicfi it is composed. The record on its sides 
became each flay more illegiljle, and it was too evident that 
in a few years longer it would crumlde into dust. Notliing 
remained to be done but to replace it with a memorial 
obelisk oi gray granite from our own native hills, with the 
heroic names of the '' unreturning brave " preserved to 
posterity in imperishable bronze. Silently and persistently, 
for years back, this object has been kept in view and 
striven for. 

The fund gradually accumulated under the judicious man- 
agement of Ex-^vapt. Courtenay and Major Edwards. Ever 
generous and patriotic woman rendered effective assistance. 
'I'lie rrcneral Assembly of South C'arolina unanimously con- 
tributed a brass Napoleon field-piece that had done good ser- 
vice in the Confederate war, and bore upon its muzzle the 
scars of battle, for the material of the memorial tablets, and 
the City Council kindly donated this appropriate site for an 
enduring record of the constancy and faithfulness to duty of 
those who " were of the very flower of this aneient city, 
her young hope and fair renown,'" and to-day, with the 
sim])le sacrifice of prayer alone, tlie corner-stone is laid, 
postponing the more important ceremonies to the day when 
the com|>leted Monument shall be unveiled, whi< li will 
commemorate the anniversary of the day when the first 
blood of the Washington Light fjifantry was spilt and four 
members of Company A, Hampton Legion, laid down tlieir 
lives oi, the soil of \"irginia in defence of the Southland. 

THE chaplain's I'KAVKR, 

Tlic Uev. A. Toomer I'orter, the venerable Chaplain ol' 
Ihe W'iisbiiigioii Light Infantry Uatlalion. made the follow- 
ing brief bill loiiching prayei' : 

Almighly (Jod, our Meaveidy l^'ather, whet dost go\c'i-n all 
things in heaven and'^ earth, we. Thine unworthy servants, 
acknowledge oiir dependence u})on Thee in all tilings, and 



21 

ask Thy hlessiiiii- on all that we do. We are Iktc in Tliy 
[ireseiict.' to lay tlir conier-stoiio of a Moiminciit which \vc 
hope will last for many t;'enerations, kee})ing alive the 
memory of those who died in the conscientious discharii-c 
of duties laid upon them hy their State. Wo thaidv Thee 
for the good example of all those who having finished their 
course in faith do now rest from their labors. We pray 
that we be }iermitted to emphasize and perpetuate tlieir 
examj)le by building this Monument, and that it may serve 
as a constant memorial to teach all who look upon it that it 
is noble to give up even life foi- the maintenance of what 
we believe to be right. Grant us to whom is committed 
the duty of meeting the issues of the present, and to lay the 
foumlations of peace, wealth and pros})erity for the future, 
that we may ha\e the wisdom to work according to Thy 
will, that we may both perceive and know what things we 
ought to do and also may have grace and power faithfully 
to fulfil tlie same, tlirough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

TUE TWO CORNER-STONE BOXES. 

The copper box, taken from the corner-stone of the first 
war Monument in Magnolia, was then dejiosited V»y Miss 
Ijilly Honour in the opening left for that jturpose at the 
northeast corner of the base of the new memorial, and by 
its side the new box was placed in its position by Mi's. 
George M. Trenholm, and as St. Michael's bells ehimed om 
the hour of midday tiie corner-stone was lowered and 
cemented, the band })laying '' Dixie." 

"^riie new box contained a large assortment of relics in 
the shape of the following [irinted matter: 

Gen. llainpton"s oi'ation and the llev. Dr. Wiid<ler"s 
[toeni at the unveiling of the tirst Monument. . I une. bsjo. 
Uanuer Song W. L. I. 

W. L. I. Memorial Proceedings — \V. D. Porter's A. O. 
Andrew's, Jas. Conner's. ,1. M. Carson's, P. F. Evans's. 
Wm. Thayer's, V. P. Salas's and .M. P. O'Connor's orations. 
1857-7-"5: Dr. (Oilman's sermon. IS;')?: Dr. .1. W. NPdcsV 
sernu)n. 1874. 

lieception to Gen. Ilamjiton. 1S77. lu'cepiion to W . II. 
F. IjCc. and Courtenay Flag presentation, 1878. 



lie'-estiihlislinieiit Citadel xVcadeiny — Tlioiiipson's oration, 
1S7!>: Thomas's oration, I880 : Dr. \'('(l(U'r"s poem, " Tvry; " 
^'atcs Siiowdc'irs poem, " The ("arolina Honrbon."" 

War liistoi-y of the Charleston Liyht Dragoons; History 
of the Confederate Home School and Tortei Academy and 
Reports, 1,S!I(), of IFigh School; Addresses of the Rev. 
C. C. rinckney, Julian Mifchel and A. Sachtlehen, at the 
opening of the new school house, 1881; Archer's History 
of the Public Schools; Ifayne's " Broken Battalions."" 

Deh'uce ot Charleston Harbor; Proceedings Sur\i\()rs" 
Association. 

Di'dieation of Memorial Hall, Knston Home; Dr. Di'ack- 
ctfs Prayrr; Mr. Bryan's Oration and Mr. Sass's Ode. 

City Reports, 1889, 

Proceeding of Centennial of Incorporation, August, 1X8:}. 

Accounts of Cyclone, 1885; Eartlnpiake. lS8r>, 

Circulai's of Easter Fair, 1875; Circuhirs about Puilding 
AiMuory. 

Centennial Jjcgioii papers; Mrs. X'irginia Fi-ench's poems, 
"Liberty Bells''^ and ^^ Palmetto and Pine;" Polls of Old 
Guard, Clinch Eitles, Boston Light Infantry and W. L. L, 
28th June, 187(i. 

Accounts W. L. L Festivals, 1878-88. 

('Opies of Conijtany's orders for (ien. Hampton's recep- 
tion, 1S77; great Hampton parade. 1S77: .\nniiity Cer- 
tificates. 

('owpens' Monument Recoi-d, 1884; Invitations to Cele- 
bration; Concurrent Resolutions South Carolina Legisla- 
ture ; C^orrespondence with Grand Lodge of South Caro- 
lina, A. T. Smythe, G. M.; Cincinnati Society, etc. 

Programme of Celebration ; Photograph of Morgan 
Statue, presented by the United States Congress, cost 
$20,000; Copy of the News ami Courier, May 12, 1882, with 
Gen. HamptoiTs oration at Spartanburg. 

Local ma})s ; Lord I'roprietor's Map of Carolina, l(i72 ; 
(iueen Anne Map, 1711 ; Sir Henry Clinton Military Map, 
1780; DeSaussure's Siege of Charleston, 1880; Clinton's 
and Arbuthnot's Proclamations ; P)eauregard Military Map. 
18(Jl-65 ; Map of Harbor; Abbot's Report on Jetties. 



28 

(Constitution and By-Laws of ^V. L. 1. X'ctemns of Con- 
fedt'ratc war. 

('Onstitution and By-Laws of W. L. I. (Miaritahlo Asso- 
ciation, 186(>. 

Description of Easter fair W . L. L, April, 1S75, 

Copy of the Nnos and Courier, Augost 15, T8H:}, with 
Mnckenfuss's account of Companies A and !> in the \^ir- 
ginia and North Carolina Campaign. 

A poetic tribute to the Confederate dead hy Col. I'heo. 
O'Hara. 

Literest-bearing (Confederate N'otes. 

'Fhe \Y. L. L and Mount Vernon, 1884, $1,000 contributed 
for South (Carolina room. 

W. L. I. ROLLS. 

Rolls ot the three companies of the war, complete. 

Roll Fourth July, 18(!0, Capt. Simonton, 144 men. 

Pay-rolls Companies A and B, 25th S. C. V., (ith Fel)rn- 
ary, 1882, on Confederate jiaper. 

Roll 23d February, 1874, (-apt. (^ourtenay, !)5 men. 

Roll April 19, 1877, (iipt. Courtenay, 109 men, TLim})ton 
[larade. 

Rolls 1881-83, Capt. Marshall, witli list of relics in 
Armory. 

SPECIAL ROLLS ON VELLUM. 

Loll W. L. I. Veterans, 1891. 

Roll Company A, nam[)ton Legion Fntantry, Capt. .lames 
Conner, elaborately ornamented by hand hy dauuiiters ot 
Ml'. C. L. I*o})peidieim, a member. 

Roll trustees charity fund and list ot assistants. 

Roll 17th June. 1875, ('iipt. T. V. Simons, at L>unker 
1 nil, 71 men. 

lioll 4th -Inly, LS7(i, (^apl. R. C. (Jilchrist. nt JMiiladelphia, 
(!0 men. 

Roll Ilth May. ISSI, ('apt. (L j). L.ryan, at (\)wpcns. 
5(1 men. 

Roll 19th ()ctol)er, 1882, (^apt. A. W. Marshall, at V..rk- 
town, 27 men. 

Roll Idth and 2:;rd .hiiie, L^S:!, New York, Xew Haven, 
llarirord. Capt. A. \V. Marshall. 40 uwu. 



24 

Uoll I'Otli JiiiK, 1883, detiicliiiiciil lil men, Cainden, S. C, 
Ijient. .1. LaiJil) .lohiistoii. 

i;()ll .notli Ai-ril, 1880, M:i). (4ilclii-ist, Wiishiiigtoii Ccii- 
tt'iiiiial, New ^'oi'k, -Jt! men. 

U(.ll 2!itli May, 1S90, Majc^r ( iileliiist, Lte "Monnmcnt, 
liiclimond, 45 men. 

C()[)y of" (Jen. Lee's farewell ordei-, Appomattox, April 
10, 181;;"). 

Files of cit}' papers, 2o<l Kehruary, 181>1. 

THE BENEDICTION 

Was pronouncccl by the Rev. ('. K. Chieliester. after wliieli 
I he lar^c u'atlifi'inu- melted away. Tlic Washington Ligiit 
Iidaiitry JJattalion aceornpanied tlie eadets to tlie Citadel 
Aeademy before being dismissed, t]je line of mareh being 
through Broad and King Streets. 



.lust thirty years ago the eeho of the guns of the first 
n-real battle ior Southern liberty was dying out along the 
hills of old Virginia, the rays ot the settijig sun fell upon 
the proudly waving standai'ds of the South, and the army 
of the Confederacy, flushed with victory, was just returning 
from [)ursuing the shattered and Hying cohorts of the North. 
Among the foremost commands, which iiad on that great 
day given victory to the Confederate cause, was the AVash- 
ington Light Infantry Volunteers, of Charleston. But ani 
mated, as they were, with the splendid success of the day, 
and fdlcd with high and renewed hopes for the future of 
theii- country, there was yet a sadness in their hearts, for 
on that day, on that desperate iield, the Washington Light 
Infantrv had jioured out its first blood in defence of its be- 
loved Southland. It was, therefore, peculiarly fitting that 
the anniversary of the first battle of Manassas, the granite 
memorial to those brave men who. thus laid down theii' 
lives, should have been unveiU'd in the presence of the 
assembled city. 

The committee in charge of the ceremonies, had done 
their work well, and by noou, every preparation Jiad been 
ma<lo for the unveiling of the beautiful shaft in Washing- 



25 

toil S(|uarc'. The stand had been erected just east of the 
shaft, which stood wrapped in tlie interwoven folds of the 
Stars and Stripes, the emblem of a once more united land, 
and the beloved old Talmetto i\i[g, which recalled vividly 
the days of the past, wiien men N\eiit out to do battle for 
the State. 

The hour appointed for the unveiliiii!; was six o'clock, and 
long before the time arrived, the stand was crowded with 
ladies, and the broad lawn of green, in the midst of which 
the graceiulshaft is set, was tilled with a throng of people, 
all eager to witness the ceremonies, and to pay their slight 
tribute to the memory of the unforgotten dead. Although 
the sun at this hour shone down with genuine summer 
fervor, on the unprotected heads of the multitude, the crowd 
continued to swell, until, long, before the military arrived 
on the grounds, tlie square was filled, and the people over- 
flowed into the adjoining streets, 

THE MILITARY 

Assembled at five o'clock at the "Washington Light Infantry 
Armory, in King street. The W. L. I. Battalion, and the 
Clinch Ivifles, of Augusta, formed one body of troojjs, 
under the command of Capt. A. W. Marshall, and headed 
the line of march. The company, 60 strong, was com- 
manded by Capt. Julius E. Cogswell, while the Clinch Ilifles, 
with 26 splendid looking soldiers, were under the command 
of (^apt. W. W. Fry. The Sumter Guards, 47 men, Capt. 
T. T. Hyde; the German Artillery, 60 men, Capt. V. W. 
Wagcner; and the Lafayette Artillery, 41 men, Capt. 
l)u])Os, acted as an escort, and at about half-})ast five, to 
the sound of music and drum, the line of niai-rh was taken 
down King street to Broad, thence into meeting, to the west 
entrance to the square. These gates were kept closed, until 
the distant sound of martial music gave warning of the 
approach of the soldiery. They were then thrown open, 
and in a few minutes the line, under the command of Major 
li. C. Gilchrist, who was mounted on a splendid coal black 
charger, wheeled into the square. 

The Washington Light Infantry, of course, headed the 



26 

march, followed closely by the Clinch Rifles, resplendent in 
their niiigniiiccnt uniforms, of green and gold, and show}^ 
helmets. Then came the Sumter Guards, their white bear- 
skin shakos shining in the afternoon sun, and their uiiifornis 
of Confederate grey recalling other scenes and times when 
it was no holiday atiair to be a soldier in the service of South 
Carolina. The Guards w^ere followed closely by the German 
Artillery, and the Lafayette Artillery. With the former 
company, was the Pioneer corps, a handful of gray-liaired 
men, some of whom had seen service in more than one war 
on both sides of the Atlantic, and the fire of whose patriot- 
ism age could not quench. 

The troops were brought to "attention," directly in front 
of the monument to the west, an enclosed area being re- 
served for them, and while in that position the W, L. I. 
Veteran Association and the Survivors' Association marched 
by and took seats in front of the stand under the shadow 
of the monument. 

THE VETERANS. 

The following members of the Veteran Association of 
the Washington Light Infantry were present: 

(^ol. Charles H. Simonton, President. 
J. L, TIoNOUR, First Vice-President. 
I). B. GiLLiLAND, Secretary and Treasurer. 
The Eev. E. C. Edgerton, Chaplain. 

E. W. LOYD, J. L. ShEP1'A1!1». 

W. B. Coavperthwait, ' W. li. Greer, 

H. L Greer, Gerhard Kiecke, 

T. G. Simons, M. D., P. P. Locke, 

Wm. M, Muckenfuss, D. C. Marsh, 

W. L. Simons, H. B, Olney, 

F. W. Renneker, R. Muller, 
T. P. Lowndes, John Haas, 

R. R. Shaffer, E. F. Burnham, 

W. IL Steinmeyer. H. R. ]5odow, 

J. D. StOCKER, J. S. P)UNCH, 

p. G. ITasell, F. TT. Honour, 

F. W. Miller, G. McC. Honour, 

C. B. Johnson, F. E. Taylor, 

A. J. Barton, Wullp.rick Jones, 

C. Her Ortmann, C. L. Ortmann, 

F. J. Ortmann, W. F. Ortmann. 



27 

MAIDENS FAIR TO SEE. 

Immediately betore the arrival of the troops, the follow- 
ing young ladies, representing the commanders of the com- 
pany, whose names j)recede theirs, took seats on the stand, 
to be ready to pull the cords when the signal should be 
given. The last three named represented the three com- 
panies sent out by the Washington Light Infantry durin(>- 
the war : *^ 

1807. Capt. Wm. Lowndes — Miss Margaret W. Lowndes, 
great granddaughter. 

1817. Capt. S. Lewis Simons — Miss Kate W. Simons, 
granddaughter. 

182G. '"Capt. R. B. Gilchrist— Miss J. Augusta Gilchrist, 
granddaughter. 

1834. Capt. Henry Ravenel — Miss Bessie P. Ravenel, 
granddaughter. 

1889. Capt. B. M. Lee— Miss Susan R. Lee, grand- 
daughter. 

1840. Capt. Wm. Jervey — Miss Amaryllis Jervey, grand- 
daughter. 

1843. Capt. W. i). Porter— Miss Georgie L. r\>rter, 
daughter. 

1849. Capt. Joseph Walker— Miss Annie H. Smith, 
granddaughter. 

1857. Capt. C. 11. Simonton— Miss Caroline S. Alston, 
granddaughter. 

1861, Capt. Jas. Conner — Miss Mary F. Conner, 
daughter. 

1802. Capt. T. M. Logan— Miss Lena Logan, of llich- 
mond, Va,, daughter. 

1864. Capt. R. S. Ilanahan — Miss Annie G. Hanahan, 
daughter. 

1872. Capt. W. A. Courtenay— Miss Julia Courtenay, 
daughter. 

1874. Capt. T, Y. Simons— Miss Helen J. Simons, 
granddaughter. 

1876. 'Capt. R. C. Gilchrist— Miss Annie G. Gilchrist, 
daughter. 

1879. (^apt. G. B. Bryan— Miss Rebecca D. P>ryan, 
daughter. 

1882. (^apt. A. W. Marshall— Miss Annie W. Marshall, 
daughter. 

1888. Capt. W. Lucas Simons — Miss (\arrie Simons, 
niece. 

1889. (^apt. J. T. Flint- Miss Bessie Flint, daughter. 



2S 

(Company A, 25tli S. C. V.— Mis.^ (^arrie O. Oliicy, Miss 
Daisy Shepjtard. 

Oonijtaiiy A, Ilaiiipton Leg-ioii Iiilaiitry — Miss Mary I*. 
l*oi)})OiiliciiM, Miss Sallie Inglcsby. 

Coini)any B, 25th S. C. V.— Miss Kdith il Greer, Miss 
Belle Grice. 

It was a matter of Tiiuch regret, that (leii. T. M. Logan, 
of Richmond, could not be present. Mrs. Logan occupied 
a seat on the stand as a guest of the c()m[iany, while Nliss 
Logan was one of the young ladies wlio unveiled the shaft. 

ON THE STAND. 

Fn addition to these young ladies, there were on the stand : 
'J'lie lion. fJames Simons, Ex-Mayt)r Gourtenay, the Hon. 
(^harles Inglesb}', Gorporation Gounsel ; the Rev. G. G. 
IMnckney, 1). B., President of the South Garoliiia Histori- 
cal Society and of the South (^arolina (-incinnati; Brig. 
Gen. T. a". Huguenin and Staff; Gol. A. G. Magrath aiid 
Staff; Mayor Bryan and tlie Gity Gouncil, and many othei' 
persons of distinction. 

THE CEREMONIES. 

Promptly at six o'clock, Major Gilchrist, standing on the 
[)edestal, l)eside Judge Simonton, the orator of the occasion, 
gave the preconcerted signal, and the band struck up " Dixie." 
The guns of the Lafayette Artiller}-, in C-halmers street, 
mingled their warlike roar with the merry chiming of St. 
Michael's bells, and twenty-live young ladies pulled the cords; 
the folds of the great flags fell aside ; the halyards on the 
lofty flagstaff were hauled taut, and in a moment the shaft 
stood unveiled, while far above it floated the mingled colors 
of the State and the Union. A tremendous outburst of 
applause greeted the unveiling, which lasted for several 
miimtes. 

When (|uiet was restored, Major Gilchrist introduced the 
liev. E. G. Edgerton, of Aiken, who offered a prayer. 

INTRODUCING THE ORATOR. 

MaJ. (iilclirist then introduced the Tlon. V. IL Simonton, 
the orator of the occasion, as follows : 

On this day, thirty years ago, the Washington Light In- 
fantry received its baptism of blood when IL A. Middleton, 
(iabriel Jervey, G. L. Phelps, and TIenry iJlankensee, in 
(Jompany A, Hampton I^egion, laid down their lives on the 
battlelield of Manassas. This shaft has been erected to 
[•reserve in imperishable granite and bronze their names 



20 

und tlic names of the others of our one huii(h'eil and four- 
teen (lead wlio, thereafter, on foi'ty-one battletiehls of the 
Oonfederaey, in liospitals, oi- on tlie weary wayside, died in 
obedience to a sentiment of honor and the call of duty. 
It has, therefore, seemed to be most litting that tliese cere- 
monies should take place on this very day, the anniversary 
of the first battle of Manassas. "We could ahnost liear this 
morning the salvos of artillery and resounding huzzas that 
welcomed at Lexington, Va., the unveiled statue of the hero 
of Bull Kun and Manassas, the idol of the South, Stonewall 
Jackson. So that, in spite of heat and consequent discom- 
fort, we have invited you, ladies and gentlemen and fellow 
soldiers, to assemble witli us to-day to do honor to their 
memor}'. Tlie heroic deeds of the three coinpanies of the 
W. L. L, that by no means distinguish them above the other 
brave commands who, as well did their devoir in 1861-65, 
will be recounted In- him, wlio commanded the 26th liegi- 
ment, S. G. \\, in which the Washington Light Infantry 
men served in Companies A. and B. At the unveiling of 
the other monument, which we })laced in Magnolia Ceme- 
tery in 1870, (the first erected in the United States, either at 
the North or Soutli),and which has succumbed to the toucli 
of time, the gallant hero and commander of the Hampton 
Legion did justice t(^ the W. L. L, as he knew it : and now the 
other commander, under whom the two companies of the 
war, 2r)th Regiment, served on other fields, will complete the 
record, and, so far as time will allow will show why the 
company, which sprang into existence 1807 under William 
Lowndes, claims to be of that 

" Immortal few who were not born to die.'' 

1 introduce the lion. C. H. Simonton, late (^olonel of the 
2r)th Regiment, S. C. V. 

Judge Simonton's address was not only most ehxjuent, 
but was an invalual)le contribution to tlie history of the 
Washington Light Infantry, and, therefore, to the history 
of the service of South Caroliuii in the field during the war. 
He said : 

JUDGE simonton's ORATION. 

Gentlemen of the Washington Light Infantry ; 

Comrades of the Veterans : 

On this beautiful summer's afternoon we unveil a perma- 

nant memorial of oui- dead. The monument erected in 

Magnolia with so iuueh effort iiearly a »[uarter of a century 

ago, was amouLi- the lirst of its character in the South, it 



80 

liu.s proved to bo of perishable materiul. Providentially we 
are able to substitute for it, this shaft of imperishable i^-raii- 
ite, the product of our native soil. May it remain through 
many generations, the faithful witness of our aflection foi' 
our comrades. 

At the dedication of the first nionunu'nt, we were honored 
1)y the presence of Wade Hampton, and heard from his lips 
an eloquent ex])()sition of the |)rinei})les and the motives for 
which the Confederate Soldier put his life in peril. Tie dis- 
cussed the causes which led up to the war and paid the 
tribute of a soldier and a statesman to its dead heroes. Ours 
is a uiore humble, but not less interesting task, A few sur- 
vivors of a stormy period, we gather for the last time arouud 
this commemorative shaft iu tender memory of the friends 
and companions of our boyhood and early manhood. We 
pay theT tribute of affection. Again we feel the sense ol' 
personal bereavement. Nearly every name on that monu- 
ment recalls some one of our personal friends. Many oi 
them had been in the old company before the war, had met 
with us at di'ills, parades and company meetings, and had sat 
witli us around the same festal board. We can recall their 
familiar features, their well known names, the tones of their 
voices, their personal characteristics. They shared with us 
the jest and frolic, the toil, of our holiday excursions. How 
this occasion brings back to us the memory of our long lost 
youth, its aspirations and its hopes, its careless enjoyment 
of the present, its confident encounter with the threatening 
future. In this halcyon period, these men heard the call of 
the State, to arms. Reared in a community wdiich recog- 
nized the superior authority of the State, without any hesi- 
tation they obeyed the call. To them it was a simple ques- 
tion of duty. They gave the best proof of their sense of 
its ol)ligation, their lives. 

I propose on this occasion, appealing as it does so much 
to our affections and so full of touching associations to con- 
tine myself to our family history, to tell in a few brief words 
the story of our three companies in the war between the 
States. We arrogate for them no superior [)lace. We lay 
claim to no unusual merit, to no marked excellence, no 



81 

special service. That grand army ot" wiiich they toriiied a 
part was an army of unnamed heroes, was filled with able 
men content to march in the ranks, to encounter without 
reward or hope of reward, the toils and perils, and suffering 
of a private soldier, but one motive guiding them, duty to 
their State, one hope sustaining them, that their cause would 
succeed. The history of each regiment composing that 
army was the same. From every rank in life in our 
Southland they went, filled witli enthusiastic patriotism, 
caring nothing for the questions disturbing politicians and 
statesmen, knowing only that their country was invaded, 
ready to meet any odds. At first they were borne along in 
the flush of" victory ; at the end they were in calm despair. 
At no time, under no circumstances, were they faltering or 
false to the cause for which they had pledged their all. 

The Washington Light Infantry, a volunteer militia 
company, owed its origin to the burst of patriotic indigna- 
tion which swept the country upon the encounter of the 
Chesapeake with the Leopard. The Leopard skin so long 
a part of our uniform, commemorates this. William 
Lowndes was then at the opening of that brilliant career, 
wliich would have borne him the Presidency but for his 
untimely death, lie organized the company and his char- 
acter and genius gave it its first impulse. Through many 
years it enjoyed and profited by the influence of successive, 
excellent Captains, the bold and energetic Cross, the accom- 
plished Wm. Crafts, S. Lewis Simons, a valued and public 
spirited citizen, W. H. Miller, the accomplished merchant, 
the learned and popular Gilchrist, Henry Ravenel, fitting 
representative of a pure Huguenot ancestry, the calm and 
incorruptible B. M. Lee, Wm. Jervey, the model South 
ern gentleman, the accomplished W. 1). Porter, profound 
lawyer, gifted orator, distinguished statesman, Joseph Wal- 
ker, energetic, active and accurate, L. M. Hatch, with his 
laborious study of and genius for war. Its social position 
and influence w-ere remarkable. With ranks always full, 
and with an unquenchable esprit du corps, it maintained 
during all the years of its existence the well earned and 
well deservetl reputation of a Crack Military Company. 



32 

Originally formed for service and kept always well ecjiiijtped, 
it was used during two National Wars and on many occa- 
sions of (^i\'il Disturbance. The militia system of the State 
was in excellent condition, and details were constantly made 
from Brigade and Division Headquarters. In tiicse details, 
the AVashington Liglit Infantry frequently appeared. When, 
therefore, the troublous time of ]H(iO began, and the State 
was in the ferment presaging war the logical result of cir- 
cumstances brought the Washington Light Infantry to the 
front, and they were the very tirst called upon for duty. 
Early in I^ovember, 1860, they were sent to guard the 
(Charleston Arsenal. They were then detailed to do patrol 
duty between Sumter and Moultrie ; they were in the detach- 
ment which took possession of and manned Castle ]*inckney. 
The Gun upon the Star of the West called them to Morris 
Island, and as a company of the Regiment of Ritles, they 
did their part during the whole of the operations around 
Sumter. 

What a holiday campaign that was, with what appliances 
and comfort did we begin the tirst da3'S of the war. A rude 
awakening was before us. IIow few dreamed when the 
Hrst gun was lieard 0Y)ening the siege of Sumter that its 
sound would re-echo through this broad land, summoning 
a nation to arms, inaugurating a struggle in which the tra- 
ditions and habits, the institutions and wealtli, the result of 
a century and a half would be swept away forever. The 
first realizing sense of the work before us came when we 
bade God speed to the Washington Light Infantry Volun- 
teers on their start for Virginia. This our first contribution 
to the C-onfederate Army, left Charleston for Colund)ia in 
May, ISdl, and was the first com])any reporting for duty in 
the afterward renowned Hampton Legion, and became and is 
known as Comjtany A, in that veteran command. To no 
better man could have been entrusted the good name of the 
Washino;ton Liijht Infantrv than James Conner, who went 
out as their (^aptain. With large personal influence, 

unquestioiuxble courage, great self control, firm, just, con- 
siderate, he was an ideal commander. Then he began the 
career which by force of unusual merit carried him through 



:5;5 

all interior oradcs to the post of IJrigadier. Jn whicli lie 
won wliilo liviiii:-, llu' respect, confidence and affection of 
State, and wliich i)nt a whole community in mourning for 
his dcatli. 

The story of the Washington Light Infantry Company 
A, of the Legion would be the history of the Army of 
Northern N'irginia. It was among the very first of tlie 
organizations wliicli formed that Army. It followed the 
fortunes of Lee and Jackson, of Johnson and Longstreet 
from the first Manassas and its remnant surrendered at 
Al)pomattox. One hundred and fifty-two officers and men 
served with it. It gave throe Brigadiers to the Confederate 
Army. In twenty-five pitched battles, on very many a 
weary march, footsore, barefoot, starving in the winter 
camp, staining the snow with bloody footsteps, in the swel- 
tering trenches they exhibited the highest and best qualities 
of the soldier, and acquired for themselves a reputation of 
which we may well be proud. Our roll of Captains has no 
names more honored than Conner, Logan or Thomas. 

To-day has been selected for our present purpose because 
it is the anniversary of the first battle in which blood was 
shed in the AVashington Light Infantry — Henry Blankensee, 
G. L. Phelps, Gabriel Jervey and Henry A. Middleton, 
Jr. The war found Mr. Middleton a successful planter in 
Georgetown. He had raised a company of Cavalry for 
service. Impatient to be at the front, he resigned his posi- 
tion and volunteered as a private in Company A of the 
Legion. At the first Manassas he fell mortally wounded. In 
his own person he gave one more instance of devotion to 
South Carolina, which has characterized his family — which 
has interwoven their name with that of the State from the 
earliest period of colonial history. There is one name on 
this monument, a i)rivate in Company A, of the Legion, a 
stranger to many of us, which, even in this hurried sketch, 
deserves mention. Oscar Lieber, the eldest son of Dr. 
Francis Lieber, was reared from early boyhood within the 
walls of the South Caroliiui College. Associated with sev- 
eral generations of titudents he imbii)ed all the tastes and 
feelings, the principles and prejudices of these friends of 



84 

Jiis boyhood. ( inuhuiting at that (k)llege, his marked abil- 
ity and acquireiiK'iits created frequent demands for his 
services in this and in the Gulf States, and he became 
the State Geologist. When the war broke out he volun- 
teered in Company A. His distinguished father, forgetful 
of his own stormy youth and that he was an exile from the 
fatherland, l)ccause of his political opinions, denounced his 
son as a traitor and reljcl, disowned and repudiated all rela- 
tionship with him. lie snftercd liis son to die of his wounds, 
affectionately and tenderly nursed, it is true, but by strangers 
in blood to him, and shut his ears to any report of his son's 
last hours. We, the children of the soil, may have made 
sacrifices. We were supported by the sympathy of those 
nearest and dearest to us. Lieber, when he followed his 
convictions, made sacrifice and shipwreck of all the ties 
which men hold most dear. 

One otlier name cannot be passed over in silence. Theo- 
dore Klinck entered a boy into the ranks of the old ( -ompany 
and had the affection of all of us. In the enthusiasm of 
his nature he preferred the prospect of immediate active 
service in Virginia, and no better man followed the lead of 
Conner. Tlis courage and ability attracted the notice of his 
Commanders and he gave promise of an honorable career. 
He fell on the field of battle a young martyr to the lost 
cause. His venerable father had not recovered from this 
sacrifice, when he was called again to mourn for his ffrst 
born son, Jolm Klinck, Jr., whose blood also stained the soil 
of Virginia. 

After the departure of the Volunteers for Virginia the 
Company remained for some months, a part of the Rifle 
llegiment and did duty on the Sea Islands in front of, and 
below Charleston. In February, 1862, they voluntered into 
Confederate Service. So full were its ranks and so great 
was the popularity of the Company, so earnest and univer- 
sal the enthusiasm pervading the whole community that two 
full (companies, one hundred and twenty-ffve men each, went 
out as (^ompanies A, and B, Washington Light Infantry. 
They were a splendid body of men, young, intelligent, well 
drilled, many of them fft for positions of command. Ordered 



35 

at oMcc into service in tlic Kutaw Battalion, afterward 25tli 
Regiment, they were on C^oles' Island, Battery Island and 
on James Island. Tlie duties performed by this liegiment 
were perhaps the most trying to which u soldier, certainly 
a volunteer soldier, can be exposed. There was little of the 
glow and excitement of constant and actual conflict, the 
din of arms and the fierce delight of battle. Day and night 
they were at the outpost, at the entrance of the most direct 
road to Charleston, the eyes and ears of the Commandino- 
General, watching each movement of a powerful, active and 
brave adversary. For months at a time they were the only 
Infantry regiment on this part of the defence of the city, 
and upon them was the most grave responsibility. The 
l»icket lines were in sight of and within easy reach of the 
enemy. Being on the Stono and the estuaries connected with 
it, they were exposed to constant attacks from gunboats and 
to the formidable armament of the ships of war. 

They lived in a deadly climate, against whose poisonous 
atmosphere they could take no precaution. Standing on 
the defensive, they could only endure and be patient, repress- 
ing the eager desire, whetted by news from other quarters, 
to go into active service where, at the least, they could 
attack as well as defend. During this weary period tliere 
were episodes which relieved the monotony. With their 
regiment these two companies took part in movements of 
troops within the military district and in North Carolina. 
On their return, they were in the engagement })reliminary 
to the battle of Secessionville, and took their full part in 
that com[»lete victory. Here tliey met their first losses in bat- 
tle. Among them kichard A\"alsh (ircei-, gentle, amiable, af- 
fectionate, than whom no better nnm wore the grey. Fleet- 
wood Lanneau, dr., cut down in the glory and bloom of 
[)roniisiug manhood, and that Christian soldier, Taverner, 
the gallant Englishman who fell fighting in defence of the 
homes of his friends. Then came W^agner. Against this 
lonely outpost of Sumter the whole power of a magnificently 
e([uii»})ed Federal army, and of the navy t)f iron dads, had 
exhausted itself. Kxjiosed in IVoiit to constant artiller\- fire 
and the rifles of sharp shooters, and on the Hank to the 



hcuviust Diiviil l>()iiibur(liiiciit tliuii known in eh ilizcd war, 
its defence tested the courage of the bravest, ('onipanies A 
and 1>, with the rest of their regiment, did thcii' tonr of 
thity in this famous fortress, and the l)]ood of their doad 
reddened its sands. Here Lieut. K. A. Blum lost his life. A 
member of a large and inftuential German family of (Miarles- 
ton, he exliibited in a high degree the best (jualities of the race 
from which he came. To its traditional courage he added 
honesty of soul, patience, firmness and unfaltering fidelity. 
At the last service of the regiment in Wagner, the ap- 
proaches against the fort had been completed, and the last 
trencli had reached its walls. Tt had served its full purpose 
and had become untenable. Any further occupation would 
ba\e involved unnecessary loss of life. At tlie dead of 
night, in a silence inrerrupted only by an occasional shell or 
the buzz of a bullet, the comjiaiiies of the 25th regiment 
and the rest of the garrison quietly left the fort and pro- 
ceeded to the landing. The order had been given that the 
dead must be left. But Lieut. Berger was determined that 
Blum shouhl sleep with his fathers. Raising his friend in 
his arms he took his place with Company B, the right com- 
pany of the regiment, and the dead Lieutenant led the evac- 
uation. It was accomplished without loss. The last men 
to leave the Island were J. L. Honour and Lieut. J. A. 
Ross, of Company A. These companies formed a part of 
the garrison of Sumter on several occasions, and have eai-ned 
the right to put its name on this memorial stone. Those of 
us who are survivors can even now recall the shudder with 
which we learned that eleven young men of our companies, 
crushed under its crumbling walls, found a sudden and 
awful death in Fort Sumter. Well may any troops who 
served in these two forts, Sumter and Wagener, be proud of 
the record. So long as American history shall be read tlu' 
unflinching courage, heroic enchirance, des})erate resistance 
against overwhelming odds, fearless disregard of death in 
tdmost every form wliich the garrisons of these forts exhib- 
ited during the long months of almost hopeless struggle. 
will attract the attention and command the admiration ot 
our countrymen, whether they or their ancestors wore the 
l)lue or the grey. 



The tide of tlic wav at last set for thqse two coinpanies 
toward Virginia, and tlic ini]>atient hopes of them and tiie 
other eonipanies in their regiment were ii'ratiiieih On the 
first of May. l.SiU. ('oni})Osing a part of Ilagood's most 
ellicient and excellent hrigade, they took up the line of 
march, and u}ion reaching Petershurg at once went into 
action. 

In ra])id succession they were engaged at Swift's Creek, 
Port Walthall Junction, Drury's BInft, City Point, Permuda 
ilunch-eds and Gaines's IMills, and took part in and wit- 
nessed the terrible repulse and slaughter of Grant's army 
at Cold Harbor. Tn these engagements Ilagood's Brigade 
proved the completeness of their preparations for active 
duty on the battlefield. The 25th Regiment did its full 
share in seconding the ability and increasing the re]>utation 
of its war loving Brigadier, and in the 25th Peginient 
Coni})aiiies A and B did not have an inferior place. They 
were worthy comrades of Pressley, Glover, Sellers, (Jordon, 
C^hiiui, Lesesne, and the brave ]Tammonds, JLarper, Mazyck, 
Bartless, Izlar and the gallant Dibble. And in every 
engagement they obtained the praise of theii- commanding 
officers. At the beginning of their Virginia campaign 
Bomar and Tatt, Lieutenants of (^ompany B, losr their 
lives. Both young, promising and brave, they were excel- 
lent specimens of Southern maidiood. Taft had in liim 
the blood of New England, and all the cool daring and 
sturdy pluck of Ins race. JJonuir rejjresented thi- best blood 
of Upper Cai'olina, as chivalrous as Bayard and as modest 
as a woman. Both fell eheering on their men. in the Hush 
of victory and with the light of battle on their faces. From 
Cold lIarl)or the brigade returned to Petersburg, and were 
among the troops which met Grant's tirst advance against 
that historic city, digging tlu; tii-st trenches in its defence. 
Tln'iueforward for some months they remainecl under 
(Jenei'al Jjce, and shared in the defence of Hichniond and 
Petersburg. The world will nevei' know the eon4)lete 
nieasurt' of the heroism of Lee's army. Sjiut u|i in the 
trenches ai'ound Petersburg and Uichniond, ill \hi\ and 
scantily clad, opposed by troops thoroughly e(]uii>ped and 



88 

pro\i(k'(l with every necessity, \eter;ins ol' an hiiiidred Init- 
tles, juid know iiig as well as tlieir c()minandin<»: General 
tlial tliu siege could have but one end, every mail l)ringinii- 
them tales of distress and suffering at home, to many ot 
them of burning homesteads and houseless families, they 
kept up a 8tu])born resislance watchfully and successfully 
resisting every attack, at times themselves attacking and at 
all times defving cold, hunger, danger, death and tiite itself. 
in one of these sorties, that on the Weldon Railroad, 
liagood's Brigade took a leading part under the eye and 
following the example of its brave Commander. Its C^om- 
panies were almost destroyed. There fell James A. Koss, 
Lieutenant of Company A. His impatience to be with his 
men, dragged him from a bed of sickness and sent him to 
the battle field, lleporting just as the fight was ordered he 
joined his C^ompany in the charge on the impregnable earth- 
works and foremost fighting fell. A nobler spirit never 
breathed. With no other motive than his own sense of 
duty, he sacrificed the comforts of a luxurious home and all 
the pleasures wealth could give, for the dangers and priva- 
tions of the camp, lie sleeps in an unknown grave. His 
memory is enshrined in the hearts of his comrades. On 
this shaft is no name more honored and loved than his. 

When Sherman's march to the Sea endangered Lee's 
rear, liagood's Brigade was sent to tlie defence of Wilming- 
ton and the 25th Uegiment was detailed as }»art of the Gar- 
rison of Fort Fisher. When that Fortress was captured by 
storm the whole Regiment on duty were killed or captured. 
A very small remnant, among them a few men and otHcers 
of Cami)anies A and B reported for duty witli tlie Brigade 
and in a few weeks afterward at Town Creek near Wilming- 
ton, these were captured after a days' figliting with all of 
liagood's Brigade except Kion's Kegiment. Thenceforwai'd 
they endured the sufi'erings of prison life at Elmira, Fort 
Delaware and Point Lookout until the war ended. Tiiey 
returned with broken fortunes to tlieir desolated homes. 
Cast down, l)ut not forsaken, discomforted, but not dismayed. 
So strong, however, was their (\)mpany spirit, that their 
first act was to reorganize undei' their Company's name the 



39 



Charitable Association. And in flic mi. 1st of their poverty 
to set apart from their s].arse incomes a provision for the 
families of their dead companions. Here their st.ny ends. 
Dnrin,-- the entire period of tlieir service they kept uj. 
their Company traditions and observed rcirularlv their 
Anniversary, the 22nd of February; in Camp, on the 
march, under the hail of shot an<l shell in Sumter. And in 
February, l,S(i5, the small remnant on its way to a iYorthern 
prison, gathered on the sands of Fort Fisher and drank to 
" the day we celebrate " in the only beverage allowed to 
prisoners of war. 

There is a name on our roll, not however on this Monu- 
ment which rises at once in our memories whenever we 
recall the war history of C^ampanies A and B. No officer 
was closer to the hearts of his men than James M. Carson, 
Captain of C^ompany A. Commanding them from the day 
they enlisted until they were captured, sensitively alive to 
their interests, he shared their dangers and privations and 
encouraged and strengthened them by his own example. 
They loved liim with corresponding devotion and when not 
many months ago he iinished his earthly course, they 
mourned him as one does a father. 

Such, gentlemen of the Washington Lio-ht Intantry, is an 
imperfect account of the men who bore your name." ' This 
Monument with its triple steps, forming the base and the 
three sections constituting the Shaft, represents the three 
Companies. The inscription in a few eloquent words tells 
their story. '' (3fficers and men they were the verv iiower 
of this Ancient City, her young hope and fair renown.- 
'^ Beside the maimed, wounded and captured, one hundred 
and fourteen died in battle, in hospital or on the weary 
way-side. Tn obedience to a sentiment of honor and the 
call of duty and in pledge of their sincerity they made the 
last sacrifice, they laid down their lives." 

They redeemed the pledge given bv tlie (^aptain of our 
Company to the widow of William Washington when 
she placed the flag of Futaw and (\)wpens in our keepino-. 

Never cease to honor their memory. 



40 



AN HISTORIC INCIDKNT. 



A badge of w liite gros-graiii silk, printed in crimson and 
l)hu', tlius coinbining tlu; colors of llio (Confederate flac;, 
was worn by the young ladies unveiling the Monument and 
by the veterans and cliief guests of the occasion, with the 
luUowing inscription : 



■' No nation rose si> white uiid fair 
None fell so jniro of orinie.'' 

(W. L. I. Coat of Arms.) 

W. L. T.— 18()0-(;5. 

Tlieir now War iMonunicnt Unveilod in Wasliinnt()n S(|uarc 

on the 

:!Ot,li Anniversary of " First Manassas, 

Wliero tiieir first l)]ood was shod, 

21st July, 18(il. 

" Forinrtn vov mvJaf firnns.'' 



" Finis Coronat Opii^." 



THE COMPLETED MONUMENT. 



THE FINAL CEREMONIES IN THE DEDICATION OF THE 

BRONZE PANELS. THE "W. L. I." FAITHFUL TO 

THEIR DEAD OF THE "WAR BETWEEN 

THE STATES." 



The one hundred and eighteenth (118) anniversary of the 
victory on Sullivan's Island, 28th June, 1776, when Col. 
Moultrie defeated the British fleet under Sir Peter Parker, 
was observed in Charleston by a ceremonial, coninieniorative 
of military achievements as glorious as those of another 
century. As the men of 1776-83 fought for civil liberty 
and the right of self-government, so their descendents in 
1860-65 asserted their rights and laid down their lives for 
like sentiments: the first, are eulogized as patriots; the 
last, are identified with a " lost cause." 

'■'■ Carolina Day " has an added lustre by the spirited cer- 
emonies in Washington Square on 28th June, 1894, as will 
appear in reading the final proceedings of thirteen years of 
patriotic work. 

As the golden sunshine was sinking in the west and the 
bells of venerable St. Michael's were chiming with patriotic 
airs, thousands were gathering in this central public square, 
to witness the last act which completed a public memorial 
of imperishable materials, leaving to the latest posterity 
the proud records of three W. L, I. Companies, who wore 

"the .IACKHT of (iREY." 

The Wasbington Light Infantry with their colors, the 
remnant of W. L. I. A'^eterans in citizens dress surrounding 
the shaft, the mayor and aldermen, venerable citizens the 
names of whose dead were on the Monument, ior all time, 



42 

and the always faithful ladies of Charleston, with a con- 
course of citizens equal to the capacity of the scjuarc, were 
present to honor " the unreturmng brave." 

At half-past .six o'clock, Major A.W. Marshall coiuiiianding 
W. L. I., ascended the hase of tlie Monument, and intro- 
(Uiced the Rev. G. II. Brackett, who iiad heen invited to 
ofiiciate as cliaplain of the day. Dr. Brackett invoked the 
Divine blessing in an appropriate jtrayer. 

Major Marshall then pronounced the following elo^iuent 
and spirited address : 

Ladies of Charleston, Veterans of the Confederacy, 

Fellow Soldiers and Citizens : 

A few years ago it was my good fortune to be in Brussels, 
the beautiful capital of Belgium, and a friend conducted me 
to see the martyrs' monument, it is a beautiful structure 
erected, as our monument is, in the heart of the city, 
and the words pro ^w/ri^'a, standing out in Itold relief, })lain- 
tively reminded the passers by that those men died for their 
country. This monument is one of the martyr monuments 
of the Confederate States and wisely has our City Council 
acted in not only donating the site to the memory of (^on- 
federate heroes, but we trust in beautifying and fostering it. 

We are assembled, my friends, this afternoon to unveil 
the bronze tablets which complete the second W. L. I. War 
Monument. The Washington Light Infantry liad the honor 
of erecting the tirst monument to Confederate dead tliat 
was erected in the State, and possibly in the South. Many 
of vou remember the graceful proportions of that monu- 
ment which stood for years in Magnolia Cemetery, but the 
stone proved very defective, and in a few more years it 
would have crumbled aw^ay. Foreseeing such a catastrophe, 
some of the leading spirits of the W. L. I., most conspic- 
uous among whom was Ex-Capt. Wni. A. Courtena}', decided 
that another and a more enduring nioiiuuiciit should record 
the war deeds of the Washington Light Infantry. 

The present monument, which we complete to-day, is 
the result of their labors, and while the spirits of our fallen 
heroes could worthily sing with Horace, ^^Exegimonumentum 



43 

aere perren?)ius," we at least can boast that in tlieir memory 
we liave erected a monument as endurinij; as brass, yea, of 
brass and granite itself, trusting that for all time to come it 
will preach and teach to succeeding generations that these 
me!i did tlieii- whole duty to the Southern Confederacy; 
that these men gave up their lives for the Lost Cause. 

Let us then reverently unveil these tablets and allow 
the enduring bronze to begin at once the solemn duty of 
publishing to the world the valor and virtue of the Wash- 
ington Liglit Lifiintr}^ 

The closing of Maj. Marshall's remarks was the signal for 
the unveiling of the tablets, which was done under the 
supervision of Ex-Capt. Wm. A. Courtenay and Maj. Geo. 
B. Edwards, who had been' most active in having the mon- 
ument and tablets com})leted. 

Major Marshall then presented the orator of the day, the 
Rev. A. Toomer Porter, D. D., the Chaplain of the Corps. 

THE ORATION. 

Ladies and GenUemen ; 

Members of the Washington Light Tnfantrg : 

In gathering liere to commemorate the completion of this 
Monument, erected by you to perpetuale the memory of 
those gallant men whose names are inscribed on these bronze 
tablets, now permanently placed, we are linking ourselves 
with the custom of all the ages. Far away in antiquity and 
down the years of history men of all nationalities have hon- 
ored themselves by raising monuments as memorials of 
gallant deeds and useful lives. They have shown them- 
selves capable of appreciating the \'alor and the virtue of 
those who h:i\e adorned the ainials of time by their noble 
lives or their heroic deaths, evidencing that they were emu- 
lating the characters of those whose memory they did not 
wish to lose, and rearing as silent l)ut instructive teachers to 
future generations these tokens of a people's gratitude and 
admiration of lives well spent, inciting those who follow 
utter to so live that if occasion should arise they may }>lay 
their part in life's drama that they too shall deserve to be 
kept in loving remembranee. 



44 

You are to be coiic'i":itulated tliat you liav^e brought to 
successful issue your hiudal)le eudeavors to do lionor to tlioae 
who bore your name and carried your flag, not only in the 
piping times of peace, but through the hurricane of war. 
You have honored your old Chaplain by asking him to 
make the address at this your last act in this direction. 
You do not look for oratory or elo(iuence from him, but will 
be content, I hope, with a brief review of the history of 
your corps before and since the civil war. 

There is a piece of 

LEOPARD SKIN 

worn on your caps, wliich your corps has kept as an object 
lesson to succeeding generations. Eighty-seven years ago 
the grandfathers of the present generation were startled in 
the midst of thL-ir routine life by the report that the British 
frigate Leopard had fired into the American slii}) Chesa- 
peake oft the Capes of Virginia. Just as the country was 
in a blaze when it was known that Major Anderson in 
December, 1860, had evacuated Fort Moultrie and had occu- 
pied Fort Sumter, so our ancestors felt at this unwelcome 
news. Some of us have not forgotten our emotions in 1860, 
and we can sympathize with the men of 1807, and under- 
stand how they quickly flew to arms. Those men were the 
sons of those who with the thirteen colonies had achieved 
their independence ; it was oidy twenty-four years since that 
independence had been recognized by Great Britain ; and 
here in the early manhood of the next generation the roar of 
British cannon was again sounding on these shores. 

That shot from the Lcopai'd was the signal gun of the 
second war of independence. Volunteer companies were 
formed everywhere and tendered to the government; many 
were organized in Charleston, among them the Washington 
Light Infantry sprang into life, and it was a vigorous life, 
for there has never been a day and never an occasion from 
that hour to this that the W. L. I, was not there to discharge 
its duty. Through all the changes of these eventful years 
it has never been disbanded, and of all those companies 
then organized it alone survives. 



45 

Will. Lowndes, Foremost iuiiong the first ot'nicii, the author 
of the sentiment, '' The Presidency is an office to be neither 
souo-ht or declined," jurist, orator, statesman, presided at the 
tirst meeting and was elected Captain. An enthusiastic mem- 
l)er of that tirst meeting exclaimed: "Remember the Leop- 
ard ! " and the corps has remembered it to this day— and that 
is the way it got to be your badge. It tells that your fathers 
were true to their country in the hour of her need, and that 
you, their sons, are animated by the same principles to day. 
N"ever give up the leopard skin. There is magic in a 
symbol. 

THE EUTAW FLAG. 

Sixty-seven years ago the widow of Col. Wm, Washing- 
ton summoned this corps to her residence on Soutli Bay, 
where the family of our late esteemed townsman, Robert 
Mure, now reside, and placed in their custody the battle 
Hag of her late husband, 

" Which at Eutaw shown so bright, 

And as a dazzling meteor swept 

Thro' the Cowpens' deadly fight." 

And this second symbol, this crimson ilag, is here with 
you. But the story of its glory is too long to be told to-day. 

During the exciting times of Nullification the W. L. I. 
ranged itself on the side of the Union. There Avere good 
men and true on eitlier side, but tlie logic of events" has 
proven they were wise in their decision. Through fifty 
years your corps was composed of the leading men of this 
community and enjoyed its coniidence and received its 
honors. This corps went to share tlie dangers, for there 
was little glory. 

IN THE SEMINOLE WAR 

in Florida, and Lieut. Wm. Blanding, of the W. L. F., led 
the Charleston com{>any to Mexico and fought in the imnun-- 
tal Palmetto Regiment, whicli shed a lustre of glory on the 
State of South Carolina. For thirty years before 18(50 the 
muttering of the coming storm was heard throuu'h this 
W'hole land. It has been [tut into an aplu)rism. '• the ii-rc- 
pressible conflict." Men jeered the term and riilieuled it 



4i] 

when W. H. Seward iirst gave utterauce to the sentence, 
but tew now will dispute that lie summed it all in three 
words. 

THE CIVIL WAR. 

But the hour came, the clock had struck, a sectional 
President was elected on 7th November, I860. Judije 
Ma.grath threw off his judicial robe as Federal Judge. Tlie 
Federal District Attorney, Capt. James Conner, mem- 
ber of the W. L. r., resigned. We all lost our heads in the 
wild excitement of those days. A few, a very few, looked 
on aghast, unsympathetic and full of dire forebodings, but 
they kept silent and in the deepest retirement. The popu- 
lar resentment was so vehement and so emphatically ex- 
pressed. Governor Pickens thought it would produce some 
action on the part of the General Government, and that the 
arms in the United States Arsenal would be removed by the 
United States Government, so on the 12th November he 
detailed the W. L. I. to keep guard over the Arsenal in 
Asldey Street. The W. L. I. had from its inception till 
then been loyal to the Union, but underlying its very life 
was its love for and devotion to South Carolina ; and there 
was no hesitation then, at the call of the Governor, to answer 
to his summons, though its guns were loaded to shoot, not 
against South Carolinians, but against the armies of a nation. 
They garrisoned this Arsenal for several weeks. This was 
the first corps ordered on military duty in the late war. 
Major Anderson, after setting fire to Fort .NFoultrie, had 
evacuated it, in the night ol" •2r)-2«)th December, and had 
occupied Fort Sumter. 

Capt. Chas. li. Simonton, now Circuit Judgx' of the 
Federal (;Ourt> was the conunander. In 18(!0, on 2l!th De- 
cember, after service at the Arsenal, with other troops, the 
W. L. I. were ordered to occupy Castle Pinckney. The Rt. 
Ilev. Ellison Capers, D. D., now assistant l^ishoj) of this 
diocese, who was there as an officer in 1st Regiment Rifles, 
tells in a somewhat humorous way, the story of the execu- 
tion of this order. In the first chapters of what became so 
tragic a volume there were numy things grotes(|uely ludi- 
crous, which ought to be written and transmitted by the 



47 
actors and witnesses, alas, so ftist passiiju; from tlie sta^^e of 
Hfe.^ In March, 18(11, tlie ^Y. L. I, were ordered to Sulli- 
van's Island and occupied Fort Washiiio-ton at the extreme 
northeastern end of the Island, and were on duty there 170 
strono- when the fleet for the relief of Fort Sumter appeared 
oft the bar. W'lien we think of what came after, it tells 
the story of what we thouo-],t the wav was ^oin^ to be bv 
lookin.o- over our bills of supply, furnished l)y our o?d friends, 
Messrs. Klinck & Wickenburg, in which Spanish olives and 
pate de fol cjras and champagne and Spanish cigars luive a 
conspicuous place. If we began with sucli ideas'; dear com- 
rades, whose memory we would keep alive by this granite 
shaft, and whose names are graven on these tablets of bronze, 
but Avhat privations you endured, what sufterino; you expe- 
rienced before the supreme sacrific-e of your lives, for vour 
countrv and her cause. 



ON TO VIR(JINIA. 



The question had arisen. What companies should t^o to 
Virginia ? A meeting of the W. L. I. was called to con'sider 
their duty in the matter, but in view of the anticipated im- 
pending invasion of the State it was determined the time 
had not come for the whole command to go. A portion of 
the company dissented from the decision, and T. M. Logan, 
Theo. Klinck and Wm. Dotterer, with your (Miaplain, crys- 
tallized that dissent. Some ftfty of the old command organ- 
ized and after some delay -Mr. Benjamin J. Johnson ^was 
elected Captain. The next morning at the request of the 
company, which had taken the name of the ^Y . L. I. Vol- 
unteei's. I started oft' to .Nfr. Johnson's plantation, some 
eighteen miles from Mount Pleasant. 

I arrived there towards evening, and I have often had 
some qualms of conscience since. I was weh-omcd with 
old time Southern hospitality, they not dreamini>: what my 
errand was. We spent a pleasant evening : it was a happv. 
Christian family. It was the last such evening of that 
household. The evening was closed with family praver, a 
good old custom of the olden days, I fear much' negfected 
in what some call the Xew South. The household servants 



48 

l)roni;-lit in their benches um] joined in the eveninsj devo- 
tions, sini>;ing the hymns and nniting in the Lord's Prayer. 
These were shives. After the family retired, I broke to 
Mr. Johnson the purport of my visit, and tendered to him 
tlie unanimous election as Captain of the W. L, I. Volun- 
teers. Long and earnest was our discussion, and the day 
had nearly dawned ere we retired. He wished to consult 
his wife. T told him 1 must leave early in the morning with 
his decision. Lnmediately after breakfast we walked out 
and he told me he had determined to accept and would be 
with us the next evening at the Military Hall in Wentworth 
Street. I had given Lieut. Logan a signal which would 
mean acceptance. So I stood in the bow of the steamer, 
and long before we reached the wharf I had given him the 
siii-iuil and he had rushed off to the bulletin boards and put 
up the notice and summoned the men. We met. The 
enthusiasm was intense. A number of men applied to joiti 
the company, and we adjourned to meet the Captain the 
following evening. I had presided at every meeting from 
the tirst till then. The meeting was held at the Military 
Hall. We knew Capt. Johnson had arrived, and was in the 
buildino". A committee went out to bring him in. We waited 
long. Lieut. Logan came and called me out. Capt. John- 
son had on his arrival in the city received a telegram from 
Columbia from Col. Wade Hampton tendering to him the 
position of Lieutenant Colonel of his Legion. He told us 
he felt bound to us, but left it to us to decide. Klinck, 
Dotterer, Logan and myself at once released him from his 
obligation, but then we had to break it to the company and 
o-et them to contirm our decision. It was a great disappoint- 
ment^ but we determined to persevere. 

IT WAS AN ANXIOUS NIGHT. 

Next day Logan and 1 met in Broad Street about 11 
o'clock in the morning. We were standing just in front of 
the Charleston Jjibrary. The name of no one had occurred 
to us. Just then a party came out of Paul tV Brown's store 
and walked towards St. Michael's Church. Like a flash of 
lightning it struck me, and seizing Logan by the arm, I 



40 

said, why there is tlie iiiati. Tie saw it toe. Go after him 
he said. I crossed over and joined him. It was 

.lAMKS CONNER, 

an old W. L. I. P.etore we reached St. Michael's ("lnueli f 
tendered to liim the command. .1 told him if lie would 
accept I would guarantee his unanimous election. We stood 
under old St. Michael's poreh for a long wJiiU., and hefore 
we [larted he said if he was unanimously elected he would 
accept. Wv circulated it in the community that we had 
found the man. There was a large meeting; when the 
name of James Conner was proposed it was received with 
wild enthusiasm: he was elected at once. A committee 
went after him : he came, accepted ; I vacated the chair. 
The W. L. I. Volunteers had been accepted as Co. A, 
Hampton Legion, and left for Columbia in May to join that 
command with the following officers : James Conner, Cap- 
tain : James Lowndes, 1st Lieutenant: T. M. Los-an. 2d 
Lieutenant: Theo. K. Klinck, 3d Lieutenant: AVm. A. 
Dotterer, Orderly Sergeant. The rest you know. 

The history of the corps from 1807 to 18(50 is well known. 
What they did in that gigantic w^ar, this granite obelisk is a 
symbol and tells in part theii- history, and will preserve to 
posterity the stcry how there was " one company in peace, 
and three full companies in war.*" The sad storv of their 
'' patience, fortitude and unswerving tidelity to South Caro- 
lina '" these bronze tablets will tell our children. The 
ghastly tale was pathetically told from this spot by your then 
orator Ex-Capt. Simonton wlien the untinished shaft was 
unveiled three years ago. I)ut the history of your corps 
was not tinished when the last act ended in the late civil 
war. IJrilliant as was its record in ante-bellum times, illus- 
trious as is the story of its part in that war, 

ITS POST-RELLUM CAREER 

is not wanting in high purpose and great achievement. I 
am here to speak of its later life, to tell what you have done 
for South Carolina in the efiorts you have made for hei- wel- 
fare. The younger generations scarcely know how foi- lon^- 
years, Itayonet rule, alien and ignoi-ant rnlei' dominated 



50 

this State and community.- The man whose word was law 
to all Southerners — Robert E. Lee, whose name we mention 
with reverence, and he wlio was next to his great Captain, 
Joseph E. Johnston, had advised the soldiers after their 
surrender to return to their homes and resume their duties 
as citizens of a common country under one common Hag. 
It was an honorable course, and no doubt it would not have 
been difficult to pursue but for the conditions which quickly 
arose, and that made it galling for a military corps so iden- 
tified with the Southern cause. It is easy now, but to the 
men of '65 and '06 to '76 it required the highest moral 
courage and the most unbounded self-control to initiate 
faithfully and pursue this path of honorable but self-sacrifi- 
cing duty. 

Soldiers, those were days in which there was no place 
for what the world calls gallant deeds, for heroic courage. 
There were no exciting campaigns, no opportunities for mil- 
itary distinction. But the decade from 1866 to 1876 is as 
yet an unwritten history. I trust some graphic writer will 
arise to tell to future ages how the men who had fought for 
four years that bloody strife displayed a moral courage and 
a true manhood in these years of so-called peace equal to 
that physical courage which had been displayed on so many 
battle-fields. 

The survivors of the three companies came back from the 
field, from prisons, from hospitals, to their homes in Charles- 
ton. Fire and shells had made her a wreck, her railroads 
were destroyed, her wharves were in ruins, her banks were 
wiped out, a great belt of fire had swe})t her diagonally 
from Cooper to Ashley River. A number of her finest 
houses in the lower part of the city had been shattered by 
shot and shell. The surrounding country was one scene of 
desolation. Her sons were nearly all [)enniless. 

" On the tomb of Hope interred 
Stood the spectre of Despair.' 

CARPET-BAG RULE. 

The so-called reconstruction period began, and negro 
supremacy rose up to humiliate and if })ossible to crush the 
last lingering signs of life in men who had so fought that it 



51 

was an honor to receive tlieir surrender. But that life 
would not die. Some thought that the military career of the 
W. L. I. was ended, some thought that the memory of the 
sad past ought to be guarded and preserved, and also felt 
there was "duty still to be done" in new fields of honor and 
usefulness. There was, however, one common thought — 
the reunion of the old membership. But how ? The con- 
ditions did not permit a military movement, and in what 
way could they honor the dead and yet meet their obliga- 
tions to the living ? The question was settled by the for- 
mation of 

THE W. L. I. CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION. 

Its object was to help the widows and orphans and the 
mothers and sisters of those men whose names are engraved 
on these bronze tablets, and to help the destitute sick 
among the survivors. This was the first organization of 
the kind in the State, in the South, and, as far as we know, 
in the Union. The survivors rallied at once, and out of 
their penury shared with those who stood in need and had 
none of their own to aid them. 

It may seem now that this was an easy thing to do, but 
those of us who know the actual financial condition of those 
days look back witli wonder at the spirit of self-sacrifice 
which induced the men of that day to share of their penury 
with those more bereaved than they. Ft was the W. L. I. 
that did it: nor had the charitable association long con- 
tinued before they determined to erect a monument to the 
memory of the dead. And by them was unveiled in April, 
1870, the first memorial to the Contcderate dead — indeed, 
we believe the first monument to tlie dead on either side in 
the war between the States. 

it is a fact, I think, which cannot be controverted, that 
the annual decoration of the graves of the soldiers oriiri- 
nated in the South. The veterans from the battlefield 
thought that the name of our dead should be inscribed on 
their first monument, which proved to have been made of 
imperfect materials, and the W. \j. I. of to-day. who have 
erected this shaft to lake the place of the defective eolunin, 
have thought the same, hence our ceremony now. 



52 

Tlic fcaiiul political condition ot" the tStute came to l)e 

tiiliv realized by the year 1870, and public opinion settled 

to the lielief 

" That diseases dosperate grown, 
By desperate appliance are relieved. " 

It was still the time ot" strangcM" rule behind the ciNil I'ule. 
the then Government of the^tate; and the Carolina mili- 
tary spirit was once more evoked. The young men of this 
city organized themselves into 

RIFLE CLlJliS. 

The charitable association had shown the value of organ- 
ization and intercourse, and readily from it sprang the Ritle 
Club of tlie ^V. L. I. 

Citizens, yon are free to-day, but you know not what 
debt you owe to those gallant men of 1870 who organized 
those rifle clubs. It took as ranch nerve and courage to 
reorganize as it did for tliem to march to war. It was a 
great stride in the real reconstruction of South Carolina to 
have this white military organization. Tlie State caught 
the spirit enkindled here in this old C'ity by the Sea, and 
soon from the seaboard to the mountains South Carolina 
was an armed camp. They were armed wdth their own 
rifles ; they believed force would be necessary to redeem the 
State, and they ^^'ere fully ready to use force. The health 
of Capt. Peronneau had failed and in the spring of 1872 a 
new commander had to be chosen. The late Capt. J. M. 
Carson, of the W. L. I., was made chairman of the com- 
mittee to flnd that ofiicer. It has been a peculiar facult}' o^ 
the W. L. I. to have material when it has need and to find 
what they want when they look for it. One num suggested 
himself to everybody, and when the committee [>roposed 
the name of 

WM. A. COURTENAY 

it is needless to say it was received with enthusiasm, and 
liis election was unanimous. (^apt. Courtenay at once 
assumed command, and a new life was enthused into tiie 
historic corps. His known love for this company dated 
back to his youth. His love for tlie war companies was 
deep and fer\ id. The friends of his early manhood, living 



53 

and (lead, were lari;-elv iiiciiiliers of tlic W. J.. I. Ir is iiol 
iiecessarv to tell C'liarlcstou of his ability, eiieru-y, zeal and 
devotion. The le<iend in St. Tanl's Cathedral, Loiuh^n, 
reu-ardino; Sir (1iristo}.lier \\'ren, its architect, reads, "Would 
you see his monument, look around you." 80 Capt. Cour- 
tenay's monuments, built by himself, are all around you : 
all his best (jualities comluned to devel()[) the interests of 
the W. L. T.. and the results were (juickly showii. The 
ranks were tilled with young men of cliaracter and influ- 
ence, and the g-rand old corps entered upon a new and 
useful career. 

Up to this date there had l)een no public demonstration 
anywhere in the State of the old commemorative days. 
Xaturally enough the public mind was in great irritation. 
The sting of defeat, with all the dire calamities it involved, 
had been nuide more ])oignant by the coercive measures 
attempted by the General (Trovernment, and the infliction of 
Radical and negro rule upon this Commonwealth had 
brought us to such an extremity that it had been fitly called 
the prostrate State. IJut the W. L. I. was again a 7^/(152 
military company, and ir did not ])ropose to let that be a 
mere holiday existence. The flag of the Union had been 
nominally accepted by the people of South Carolina, but 
even the ante-bellum celel)ration of the biithday of Wash- 
ington had fallen in desuetude. It was classed with the 4th 
of .Inly and everything else that belonged to the past. Capt. 
Courteiiay felt this ought not to be, but how to revive it 
without doing more harm than good, so lender and irritable 
was the public mind. lie did not act alone. Long and 
anxious and frecjuent were the conferences as to the wisdom. 
the expediency and the policy of reviving the observance of 
that day. The lion. W. 1). Porter, (ieii. F. \V. Cajters. 
Col. A. O. Andrews. Capt. T. Y. Sinu)iis. all old Liu'lit 
Infantrymen who have gone before, and of those still alive 
dudge Hryan, Capt. Hatch, Major Gilchrist, your si)eaker 
and others reviewed the sul)ject in all its bearings, and at 
length agreed to Capt. Courtenay's views. It was m)t hastv 
or impulsive action, it was not to glorily the \V. h. 1. oi- 
himself, but it was a bold, progressive im)vement in the 



54 

best interests of the community. He submitted the decision 
to liis command ; quickly they adopted it and entered into 
it with spirit and determination. The W. L. I. resolved to 
celebrate the 22d of February, 187o. 

Washington's birthday. 
The announcement was received by the community with 
icy coldness ; we who were behind the scenes received the 
deepest impressions, and are best able to record the history. 
The senior Captain, the Hon. W. J). Porter — the orator of 
the silver tongue — was chosen to pronounce the oration. 
Capt. Hatch, next in rank, was to command the great parade. 
Before the day arrived the co-operation of all the rifle clubs 
was secured, and that day was Charleston's first gala day 
after the war. Men walked with firmer step, and heads 
erect, women felt their natui-al protectors were in line again. 
The throngs which lined the streets, the crowd which pressed 
into the theatre, the chiming of the bells, the national salute 
from the United States headquarters, the first friendly Fed- 
eral guns fired in South Carolina for many years, initiated 
a new era, and gave promise of success in this bold departure. 
It may seem strange to some of my hearers that there could 
liave been any difficulty or doubt in so manifestly correct a 
thing to do, but that the W. L. I. did it then has helped to 
bring about the conditions which now make this strange- 
ness appear. It is only truth to say that the scliolarly and 
eloquent address of Ca]_)t. Porter, and the ap})roval and 
co-operation of the public in tliat demonstration of the 22d 
of February, 1873, re-established the W. L. I. in its leader- 
shi}) of our city military. When the white [)eople of the 
State had reasserted themselves in 187H. Washington's birth- 
day was made the brigade day for the military of the city. 

THE widows' friend. 

In 1875 the corps determined to raise a permanent fund 
for the relief of the families of our dead. I well remember 
how chaotic were our plans until one night Capt. Courtenay, 
Cai»t. T. V. Simons, Major Gilchrist, Mr. J. L. Honour and 
3'our s})eaker met to discuss tiie feasibility of having a fair. 
After much discussion and no conclusion it was resolved to 



;)0 

turn the wliole res[)()ii^il)ility ovrr to Major ( Jilchrist, wlio 
consented to risk the odium of tuilurc, wliilc every member 
ot the W. L. I. and every recipient of the results of his 
effort should, and no doubt will, accord to him the full credit 
for its eminent success. 

An incident indicative of the coming of a better time, of 
more cordial, and fraternal feelings with those Avhom we 
had fought as enemies, should be recorded in the minutes 
of those days. Mr. J. K. flail, of Boston, Mass., had become 
a warm friend of Capt. Courtenay, and hearing of the object 
of this fair, requested to be allowed to prepare a table as 
Boston's oftering to this object. Ice had to be broken, and 
the ice was pretty thick, but it was broken, broken through 
and shivered to pieces. It was a graceful act, generously 
and liberally sustained, and graciously accepted, and like all 
good deeds was but the harbinger of another. In one short 
week a fund was raised which, by the able management of 
the trustees for nineteen years, enables me to say that to-day 
it amounts to $15,000, yielding an income of |1,050 which 
is annually distributed to the loved ones wlio need, of those 
whose names you read on these tablets. Well done, W, 
L. I. The reception given to the committee from Boston 
in charge of their table at the Easter Fair induced a cordial 
invitation for the corps to go to Boston and Join in 

THE BUNKER HILL GELERRATIOX, 

in June, 1<S75. I remember the day and the spot on East 
Bay when I was shown the letter of invitation, and asked 
my opinion. It was a surprise and for a moment T felt we 
could not go, but quickly recognizing the opportunity I 
counselled acceptance. The old advisers, W. I). Porter, 
Judge Biryan, Courtenay, Gilchrist, Simons, Hatch and 
others took counsel together and determined to prepare the 
corps first, and then the public, for the step. There was 
some little hesitation naturally, for it was a hazardous move. 
IIow would they be received, and how would our people 
look upon their going? As to the first I had some experi- 
ence and felt confident that a weh-onie awaited them of 
which thev little dreamed. For our t'ellow citi/ens I felt 



56 

sure that \\\v iTci^'ption in rxiston would satisfy theui as to 
the wisdom and jiatriotisiu of" their visit. The strong com- 
mon sense and steady nerve of ('apt. \V. J). Porter, Judge 
Brvan, ('apt. (V)urtenay and others had its influence, and 
sixty ol the men agreed to go under comnuind ol' Lieut. 
K. C. (Jilclirist. and ('apt. Thos. Y. Simons was a[(pointed 
orator. Your chaplain was to have accompanied tliem, Init 
was taken (h'sjierately ill just as he was al)out to lea\-e his 
house for the steamer in which tlie corps was to go. An 
old friend of mine, one of Boston's forenjost citizens, told 
me afterwards it was well for me in my enfeel)led condition 
tliat I had not li'one, for I could not have hoi'ue the excite- 
ment. It was months after, hut the tears rolled down his 
venerable cheeks, as he told of the efl"ect in Boston of that 
small command, the AY. L. T., from Charleston, S. (\, 
marching with the l)attle flag of Eutaw waving over their 
ranks. There was a mighty tiost that day in Boston, but 
tliat little band was the centre of attraction. Men, women 
and children gathered round and cheered and cheered until 
they were hoarse. Tears of gratitude that peace had come, 
that the war was over, that the Union was a fact, were shed 
bv men of frosted head, who never expected to hear the 
friendly tread of South Carolina troops on Boston Common, 
hospitality so profuse that onl}- good Southern constitutions 
could stand it, and champagne so abundant that only level 
heads could liave resisted it. But it was often remarked to 
me after this in Boston, it was noticed that every man 
among them never forgot for a moment tliat he was a South 
Carolinian and a gentleman. Uut, W. L. I., your visit was 
of far more conse(|Uuce than the good time you had, 1 
kncnv what 1 say, when I declare that visit to Boston effected 
a revolution of sentiment in all Xew England. The files of 
the daily press of that (hy will bear me out in the state- 
ment, besides the personal knowlt'dge I oi)taiiied in the 
prosecution of my own liie woi'k. and 1 k.iow the feelings 
it proihiced and the widespread intluence it exercised made 
it i)Ossil>le in 1877 for President Hayes to recognize our 
W'adt' Hampton as (iovernor-elect of South Cai'olina. P>ut 
I must hurrv on. Jn ISKi the \Y. P. I. hore the Eutaw 



57 

flag luuler comniaiid of Major Gilchrist to the Centennial 
celebration in Philadelphia as the colors for the legion com- 
posed of comi)anies which went one from each of the orig- 
inal thirteen States. This legion was organized by the 
W. L. I. 

In 1877 (Tovcrnor Hami)ton was your guest on the tiftieth 
anniversary of the custody of the Eutaw flag, the 19th of 
April, the anniversary ot the battle of Lexington, Capt. 
Courtenay again in command. In 1879 the 22d of Febru- 
ary was dedicated to the reopening of the Citadel Academy, 
that institution so dear to the heart of Charleston and for 
which you cherish so warm a regard. In May, 1879, you 
went to Columbia to the dedication of the Confederate 
Monument of Richland County in command of Major Gil- 
christ. In 1881, under the command of Capt. Geo. T>. 
P>ryan, you went to Spartanburg at the unveiling of the 
imposing battle monument to the victors of the Cowpens, 
which stands in Morgan Square and is surmounted bv a 
grand bronze statue of Gen, Daniel Morgan, the commander 
in that decisive victory, and for which statue Congress 
appropriated $20,000. It was projected and carried through 
by the W. L. I. Many general contributions were made 
for the monument, and the Cincinnati Society of the State 
of New York voluntarily contributed to it. In 1881 you 
went 

TO YORKTOWN, 

under Capt. Marshall, to join in the celebration of the Cen- 
tennial of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. Companies 
from JSTew Haven and Hartford visited Charleston as your 
guests, and you returned the visit in 1883 under Capt. 
Marshall, while at the same time some of the corps under 
Lieut. Lamb Johnston went to Camden, when the unveil- 
ing of the Confederate AEonument was celebrated. You 
were present in New York again under Ca[)t. Ctilchrist at 
the centennial celel)rati()ii of the inauguration as tirst Presi- 
dent of the United States of the world's great citizen. 
George AVashington. And on the 29th of May, 1890, a"-ain 
under Capt. Gilchrist, you were found among tlu> host that 
gathered in lvichnu)iid at the unveiling ot' the statue of 



58 

Virginia's great son, the compeer of her other son, George 
AVashington, the heritage of the South, yes, the nineteenth 
century's great gift to humanity, Robert Edward Lee. 
Lastly, yon to-ihiy complete 

THIS WORK OF LOVE. 

The tirst monument erected by you at Magnolia proved 
to be of perishable material and thirteen years ago Capt. 
Courtenay and Major G. B. Edwards consulted as to the 
feasibility of erecting a monument which would stand the 
tooth of time. They had a small nucleus which by judi- 
cious investment they managed in ten years to increase to 
a substantial sum, when they then brought the matter in 
detail to the attention of the corps. Major Edwards under- 
took the duties of treasurer, and his devotion to the trust 
and his intelligent management of the fund entitle him to 
the well done of the corps. Very few in these days will 
give such gratuitous service through so long a period as 
thirteen years. The W. L. I. has acknowledged its obliga- 
tion to Mrs. George M. Trenholm and those who co-operated 
with her in the brilliant concert that they gave, and from 
which your committee received substantial aid. You, by 
your exertions, w4th the assistance of many generous friends, 
have accomplished your task, and have given to your city this 
more lasting shaft of granite, of which this city, through its 
(V)uncil, has shown its appreciation by donating this con- 
spicuous place as its site. I wish all those handsome 
memorial shafts which the gallant living have erected to their 
gallant dead in Magnolia Cemetery would be brought down 
and placed in prominent positions throughout the city. 
Why not on the three sides of Marion Square? The City 
Council could not do a more graceful thing than to donate 
sites for every one of them, and pay the expenses to bring 
them here where the youth of the commuuity would daily 
see them, and as they study the history of their country 
ever have before them these illustrations of its patriotism 
and its valor. 

This occasion has confined me to the recital of tlie deeds 
ol' one company, but, my fellow citizens, your safety and 



AM 



quu't jind |.caco have been hirgely due to ihc presence 
anion..- you of a conscientious, well oro-anized and well 
equipped military department. These various comnumds 
have given their services and their means, primarily as it 
appears, for their own gratification, but the moral and phy- 
sical effect in the welfare of the community is beyond price. 
The disorganization of such a force 

AVOULD BE A BLUNDER 

that would border on a crime. Does the community real- 
ize and appreciate their value? And are no hindrances 
thrown in their way ? We Americans make life too much 
of a drudgery of dull routine. A few more holidays would 
help young men to do their work with greater zest. Mer- 
chants and bank officers, and employers generally, would 
get better service from their employees if they paid a little 
more attention and took more interest in their reasonable 
and healthful recreation and enjoyment, Tt militates against 
the success of any military corps if its members feel they 
are forcing unwilling consent when even their military duty 
requires them to take a day or even an afternoon off. 

It was the purpose to have this celebration on the 16th of 
June, the thirty-second anniversary of the battle of Secession- 
yillo, but as it was thought it might be convenient to me, 
it was postponed to the 28th of June, which is the anniver- 
sary of the battle of Fort Moultrie. You are still com- 
memorating a Carolina day. 

A REMINISCENCE. 

Will you bear witli me while 1 mention some touching 
incidents connected with four of those whose names are on 
those tablets. I was Cliaplain of the 2oth Regiment, of 
which the W. L. I. formed a part. (^ol. Simonton was very 
indulgent to his C^haplain, and though lights went out at 
taps he i)ermitte(l a light in my tent as long as 1 wished it, 
1 always had some of the boys with me. It Avas Sunday 
night, the loth of dune, some ten or twelve of the meii 
Avere with me singing hymns. Tlie last hymn they sang 
Avas: "I]ow Down Thine Ear, O Lord." Ii was a tine 
choir, and when they had fniishod 1 asked them all to kneel 



and I k'd tliciii ill prayer. AVe all said tlic liordV I'niyor 
together; I rose and pronounced upon them the benedic- 
tion prescribed in the prayer book of the Episco^tal Church. 
I shook hands with each and bade good-night. Tt was 
then just 12 o'clock; at 4 oYdoek in the morning, June 16, 
1862, the long roll startled the camp. Soldiers knew what 
that meant. In not many minutes the regiment was on 
double (piiek towards Secessionville, which was attacked. 
I mounted my horse and joined Dr. Wm. C. IJavenel, our 
surgeon, and we rode after the regiment. They crossed an 
open cotton tield and went into a skirt of wood. Between 
the battery at Secessionville and themselves was a small 
creek and wide marsh. Of course they could go no further, 
but their position enliladed the Federals, who had made an 
impetuous assault on the battery and had been repulsed. 
They were coming up again with an overwhelming force 
for another assault, wlien the 25th opened tire on them on 
the flank. This checked the charge of the Federals, and 
they turned their tire on the regiment. The bullets began 
to fall pretty thick about Dr. Ravenel and myself, and I 
urged him that the doctor's place was where he could take 
care of the wounded, not where he could be shot himself. 
He realized that this was so, and giving him my bridle I 
begged him to take my horse to a place of safety. I went 
on foot across the tield to about fifty yards in reai' of where 
the regiment was doing some lively firing. Before the sun 
rose that morning 1 had assisted in taking from the field 
four of those who had been with me at 12 that night. 
Tln-ee of tliem were dead — Fleetwood Lanneau, Kichard 
W. Greer and Thos. N. Gadsden. One was mortally 
wounded, J. H. Taverner. Their names are recorded there 
on this shaft, and I am here still lingering on the stage. 

IN CONCLUSION. 

Dead comrades, if I could make you hear me I would 
tell you how ottcn I liave thought of you, and of the two 
last scenes in whieli we were together, and how often T have 
thanke<l (Jod for you lor those hymns, that })rayer, and that 
benediction at the mid-hour of tlie night which had no 
morning in time for you, but which, I trust, ushered you 



HI 

into ail etcj'iial day ol' briglitiiess and joy. It is a singidai' 
fact that all of the killed and woiuidcd at Secessionville of 
the W. L. 1. in the "25th Regiment were in Company B. on 
the left of the l\egiment. 

And now, W. L, I., you have your record very imperfectly 
spread out before you. And what a record it is in the life 
of a single corps in twenty-two years. Omitting the numer- 
ous lesser W. L. I. celebrations and ceremonials, you note 
the number of historic public occasions in whicli the com- 
pany was either the originator or was in chief [)osition 
" monument building; '' the great public o-atherinji-s North 
and South, sagacious, brave action at crucial times, whicli 
gave new direction to men's thoughts and actions, largely 
changing tlx; condition of the prostrate State to one of new 
life, new hope and long years of revived prosperity. The 
truth of history will make this brilliant record for old 
Charleston's loyal sons. 

And now my task is done. I hope I have not wearied 
you with the recital of your good deeds, l^nwortliily as 
the record has been presented the mention is more ekxpient 
than any studied words with wdiicli to dress important 
events. My purpose, soldiers of the W. L. I., has been to 
show you with what unwavering patriotism your corps has 
given itself to our country from the ince[)tion of its organ- 
ization to the present day. How true you have been to South 
Carolina in all her heroic history I How, before the war, 
you shared with her her duty to the Union; how when she 
asserted her sovereignty 3'our energies and your lives were 
offered on her altar. How when she laid down her arms 
you obeyed her behests and tried to make a reality of the 
command she gave yon to renew your allegiance to the 
Union. You have held no inconspicuous position through 
all these years and in all these great events. 'N'ou ha\e done 
your part, and, my young brothers, this is your heritage. 
Quit yourselves like men worthy to iidierit the patrinu)n\- 
of your predecessors, liemember to love our countrv is 
next to loving our God. To live for your country's lionor 
and welfare is the teaching of the religion of Christ. Do 
this and you will I'ver maintain the honor and the i^dorv 
of the W." L.I. 



APPENDIX 



ROLL 

OF 



i^o* ^f t^ixHlixnt^ton lliglit |(nfantrii, 



OF 



N LEGION INFANTRY, C. S. A., \m-K 



CAPTAINS. 

*James Connor, *T. M. Logan, 

E. A. Thomas. 

LIEUTENANTS. 

James Lowndes, First. J. P. Gibbs, Jr., Ihird. 

Theodore Klinck, First. W. E. O'Connor, Second. 

James McElroy, First. W. A. Henning, Second. 

T. C. Albergotti, Seco7id. Robert Roy, Jr., Third. 

Wm.A. Dotterer, Jr., Third. G, T. Whilden, Jr., Third. 

SERGEANTS. 

J. II. Gardner, First. J. W. McGhee, Third. 

Frank E. Taylor, First. E. II. Yates, Ihird. 

Joel Copes, Second. i). P. Poppenheim, Third. 

F. G. Coachman, Second. W. J. Dibble, Fourth. 

George Daniell, Second. E. F. Coachman, Fourth. 

J. Ancrnm Condy, Third. S. II. Stocker, Fourth. 

.1. S. Green, Third. J. S. Simpkins, Fifth. 
Ebon (^ofhn. Fifth. 

COKPOIJALS. 

K. II. Bomar. Jl. G. liaker. 

U. N'cadon Smith. W. JI. lUuvn. 

C. E. Strolieckcr. 

*Proniotetl Britir.-lienoral. 



64 
PKIVATES. 



Ancriira, J. II. 
Aveilbe, L. S. 
Atkinson, J. A. 
Atkinson, C. S. 
Allen, V>. B. 
Blum, J. A. 
Butts, R. F. 
Bruen, H. S. 
Bird, W. C. 
Brown, J. II. 
Beckman, J. S. 
Bossalieu, C. M. 
Bhuikonsee, H. 
Brantley, B. B.. 
Budault, Robert 
Bunch, J. S. 
Beck, A. 
Raker, T. D. 
Rarham, R. W. 
Calvert, J. M. 
Coachman, S. 
Cuttino, W. II. 
Clark,.!. A. 
Cay, T. L. 
Clarkson, W. R. 
Chapin, J. Jl. 
(^oxe, C. E. 
Crawford, D. 
C^ook, James 
Couturier, J. E. II 
DeTreville, R. 
Emanuel, Bhilip 
Euianm-l, ('. ('. 
Eddy, .1. A. 
Eastcrling, E. C. 

Egleston, 

Erickson, C. E. 
Edwards, Dr. 



Fcrrcl, IT. C. 
Ford, S. 
Ford, W. II. 
Ford, T. S. 
Green, J. II. 
Green, John 
Ilutson, C. AV. 
Hughes, \V. 11. 
Hughes, F. R. 
Ilowt, Jonas 
Ileriot, W, C^ 
Ilasel, R, G. 
I ley ward, A. R. 

Hunter, 

Hall,E. (). 
Inglesl)y, T. S. 
Ivey,d.M. 
Jones, C. E. 
Jones, Weldrich 
Jones, J. Quincy 
Jones, Iredell 
Jones, (^adwiillader 
Jenkins, .1. Henry 
-lenkins, Thomas 
Jervey, Gabriel 
Kennedy, John 
Kennedy, H. E. 
Kenyon, W. A. 
Lloyd, Angus 

Lloyd, ^ 

Lacoste, E. J*. 
Logan, G. W. 
Leibcr, Oscar M. 
Lowndes, Edward 
Mustard, R. W. 
Meyers, Jacol) 
Middleton, Ily. A., Jr. 
Morrison, Robert W, 



Morrison, Richard 
Mulkai, T. D. 
Masterman, E. J. 
McDonald, A. G. 
Mc(2uade, James 
Missroon, James 
McC^utcheon, T. II. 
Owens, James B. 
Phelps, George L. 
Poppenheim, J, L, 
Poyas, J, E. 
Porcher, C P. 
Postell, Jehu G. 
Pitts, Charles 
Petigrew, J. Johnstoi 
Russell, J. B. 
Reed, J. O. 
Roux, H. 8. 
Strohecker, O. E. 
Smith, J. S. 
Smith, T. II. 
Smith, William 
Sweet, R. 
Stoney, E. G. 
Spraguc, W. B. 
Seaford, M. H. 

Total, 1()1 



65 
PEIVATES. 

Snow J. R. 

Sterling, C. M. 

Shackelford, E, L. 

Sawyer, Leonard 

Skipper, E. M. 

Suggs, Arthur 

Thompson, J. M. 

Thompson, J. A. 

Taylor, G. B. 

Taylor, Hy. C. 

Todd, W. II. 

Tupper, James 

Thomlinson, R. 

Tyson, 

1 Walker, T. K. 

Walker, Douglas 

Whitney, A. G. 

Whitney, E. G. 

Wilson, W. G. 

Witherspoon, 

Wharton, John 

Whitmore, William 

Ware, George 

Vcrner, S. S. 

Yerdier, II. E. 

Yates, C. L. 
officers and men : 48 dead. 



ROLL 

OF 

^jo* ^t l^aslnnglon ||igW |(n)|anlrji^ 

25th REGIMENT S. C. V., 18()l-f)S. 



CAPTAINS. 

*C. 11. 81MONT0N. James M. Carson. 

LIEUTENANTS. 

H. B. Olney, First. James A. Ross, Second. 

Wm. Washington Fii^ihEY, Second. Jos. S. IIanahan, Second. 
W. Dana Cotchett, Jr., Second. 

SERGEANTS. 

Win. Capers Owens, First. James E. Edgerton, Third. 

W. M. Muckenfuss, First. Fred. IT. Honour, Fourth, 

John L. Sheppard, Second. Charlton 11. Ragin, Fifth. 

Henry D. Jones, Third. James A. Stevens, Fifth. 

Alfred L. Olney, Fifth. 

CORPORALS. 
Fred. W. Miller, First. John B. Bhelps, Third. 

Charles E. Ellis, Secojid.. Fred'k J. Kellers, Fourth. 

C. T. Black, Second. Sam'l W. Dib))le, Fourth. 

James IL Dickinson, Second. Q. Oibbs Blackwood, Fourth. 
John G. Newcoman, Second. C. Elliott Rowand, Fifth. 
W. G. Muckenfuss, 7'hird. Wm. B. Cowperthwait, Fifth. 



♦Promoted Colonel 2r)th S. C. V. 

PRIVATES. 

Adger, J. Ellison Barton, A. J. 

Anderson, Sam'l W. Berry, Thomas T. E. 

Baker, Henry G. Beasley, E. B. 

Baker, E. B. Blackwood, J. C. 

Ballot, F. G. Blanchard, F. S. 

Barbot,- Julian liodow, H. F. 



(>7 

rUlVATE8 
Breese, S. Van Vcchtcii 
Burn, Orville J. 
Burroughs, Samuel L. 
Burroughs, F. Marion, 
Burnham, Edward S. 
Bird, W. Cooper 
Cahler, William 
Calder, James 
Calder, Edward E. 
Carter, John W. 
Chapman, Tiios. B. 
Clayton, W. II. 
Cox, E. P, 
Connor, Geo. S. 
Coste, N. E. 
Crass, E. Frank, 
Cross, B. H. 
Cudworth, A. 
Dixon, George W. 
Douglass, Campbell 
Dooley, W. 
Dukes, T. Charlton II. 
Dotterer, William 11. 
Euslow, J. A., Jr. 
Folker, O. F. 
Forbes, W. II., Jr. 
Gibson, Walter E. 
Gowan, Peter E. 
Galloway, William 
Haas, John 
Harper, F. M. 
Hall, John II. 
Honour, J. Lawrence 
Honour, Theo. A. 
Honour, Geo. McC. 
Holmes, Wm, E. 
Humphries, William K, 
Jones, J. Walker 



Jervey, William C. 
Jeter, W. L, 
Klinck, John, Jr. 
Kingman, John W. 
Kingman, Oliver II. 
King, S, H. 
Kiddell, Charles 
Lambert, Walter 
Lawton, J. Frampton, 
Lanneau, Wm. S. 
Lee, B. M 
Lee, J. T. 
Lee, Lawrence S. 
Locke, P. P. 
Locke, F. Otis, 
Lovegreen, L. B. 
Lucas, Benjamin, 
Mahoney, D. A. 
Marsh, David C. 
Marsh, Jas. G. 
Martin, J. S. 
Masters, A. W. 
Mey, Florian C. 
Mellichamp, Jos. M. 
Mellichamp, Wm, A. 
Miller, Gustavus 
Milnor, Vincent 
Mintzing, J. F. 
Muckenfuss, Wm. C. 
McNamee, Jas. V. 
McCabe, J. W. 
O'Sullivan, Thos. F. 
Ortmann, W. F. 
Ortnumn, Julius F. 
Patterson, W. N. 
Pennal, A. F. 
Pennal, K. E. 
I*revost, Clarence 



68 



Pritchard, A\rilliain E. 
Porclier, Cbas. J. 
Petit, J. J. 
Proctor, Henry G. 
Proctor Wm. K. 
Ramsey, J. T, 
Reid, George 
Riols, A. T. 
Robb, James 
Robinson, S. A. 
Salvo, James F. 

Warren W, 



Seyle, Sam'l H. 
Sbei)i)ard, Penj. T. 
Small, Josepb J. 
Shelton,H. S. 
Sbokes, G. W. 
Shackleford, E. 11. 
Seabrook, P. F. 
Smyth, J. Adger 
Smythe, Augustine T. 
Steinmeyer, W. 11. 
Schmidt, J, M. 
l^alton. 



Totixl, 139 officers and men. 44 dead. 



ROLL 

OF 

25th REGIMENT S. C. V.. 1801-65. 

CAPTAINS. 

Kdward W. Llovd, JosEi'ii S. Hanauan. 

LIEUTENANTS. 

KoiJEiiT A. Blum, First. Richard W. Greer, Second. 

Samuel J. Burger, First, Robert M.Tapt, Second. 
Henry L Greer, First. J. EDWARDB()xMAR,.rR.,*SVr'o/i(/. 

SBKGEANTS. 

Fleetwood Launeau, Jr., i^?rs/. Everett C. Edgertoii, Third. 
T. Grange Simons, Jr., i^/r.s^. Robt. A. McLeod, Third. 
John F. Marion, Second. Frederick K. Oliver, Third. 

Wm. II. Jamison, Second. Albert W. Force, Fourth. 

Frank E. Gyles, Second. Wm. Whittaker, Fifth. 

J. Schayjter C.^aldvvell, Fifth. 

CORPORALS. 

John P. Gaillard. Leroy W. Hayes. 

R. DeTrevillc Lawrence. Alfred Gray. 

PRIVATES. 

Atkinson, Anthony O. Boyce, J. Jeremiah. 

Adams, Estell L., Jr. Cochran, William 

Baker, Geo. S. Cantwell, Patrick II. 

Beckman, Christian J . Copes, Frederick 

Bomar, Geo. W, (filler, W. W. 

Burns, Lawrence T. DeTreville, Edward W. 

Blakely, R. Devoe, Jas. II. 

Brown, Sam'l N. Doncin, P. M. 

Brown, T. K. Dorre, C. Frederick 

P.rown.J.IT. Duti, A. 



70 



PKIVATES. 



Dibble, M. W. 
Edmoiiston, George 
Flyiui, Williiiiu \i 
V\yim, W. II. 
Flynn, CIiuh. II. 
Force, George II 
Gadsden, Thos. N. 
Gilliland, DuTiiel B. 
Gilliland, Edward P.. 
Glover, John B, 
Glover, Leslie 
Gibbs, Isaac B, 
Grady, James T. 
Grady, Edward 
Graham, Stepbeii (J. 
Grice, George 1). 
Greer, W. Robert 
Ilappoldt, J. H. 
Houston, John II. 
Hernandez, B. 
Johnson, Chas. II. 
Jamison, John W. 
Lanneau, J. Bennett 
Little, William 
Logan, E. W. 
Lebby, Thos. U. 
Matthews, Christopher 
Molloy, Lawrence B. 
Martin, John C. 
Mellard, Joel P. 
Mellard, J. Pettigrew 
Moffett, Geo. II. 
Moore, William II, 
Murray, L>. 1), 
Meyer, II. 
McCutchen, II. G. 

West, Chas. 
Total, 115 officers an 



McDowell, Robert Il.,Jr 
McMillan, W. F. 
Muller, R. 
Ortmann, Louis 
Ortmann, Henry 
Oilara, W. P. 
Oliver, Thomas P. 
Prior, Barney R. 
Riecke, Gerhard, 
Renneker, Fred. W. 
Rennerker, J. Henry 
Robbins, E. Frank 
Saltus, Samuel 
Schulte, J. Hermann 
Shatter, R, Randolph 
Shatter, William H. 
Shaifer, B, C. 
Simons, W. Lucas 
Silcox, James 
Silcox, Daniel S. 
Shirer, John 
Shecut, John Eraser 
Smith, John B. 
Stocker, John D. 
Strong, S. J. 
Taft, A. Walton 
Taverner, J. H. 
Tharin, Edward B. 
Trnmbo, Augustus S. 
Warren, Benjamin W. 
Westendorfl', Chas. H. 
Williamson, Chas. A. 
Williams, Henry H., Jr. 
Witschen, E. 
Woodberry, S. B. 
Wilkie, Octavius. 
II., Jr. 

d men ; 27 dead. 



mi 




TABLETS, 



SOUTH FACE OF MONUMENT. 



" At every board a vacant chair, 

Fills with quick tears some tender eye, 
And at our maddest sport appears 

A well known form that will not die ; 

" Wo lift the glass, our hand is stayed, 

We jest, a spectre rises up. 
And weeping, though no word is said, 

We kiss and pass the silent cup."* 



THIS SHAFT COMMEMORATES 

THE TATIENCE, FORTITUDE, HEROISM, 

ITNSWERYING FIDELITY TO SOUTH CAROLINA 

AND THE SACRIFICES OF 

THE WASHINGTON LIGHT INFANTRY 

IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. 1860- 'C5, 

ONE COMPANY IN PEACE; THREE FULL COMPANIES 

FOR THE WAR. 

BESIDES THE MAIMED, WOUNDED AND CAPTURED 

ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN DIED IN BATTLE, 

IN HOSPITAL. OR ON THE WEARY WAYSIDE 

IN OBEDIENCE 

.TO A SENTIMENT OF HONOUR AND THE CALL OF DUTY 

AND IN PLEDGE OF THEIR SINCERITY THEY MADE 

THE LAST SACRIFICE, THEY LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES 

OFFICERS AND MEN 

THEY WERE OF THE VERY FLOWER OF THIS 

ANCIENT CITY, HER YOUNG HOPE AND FAIR RENOWN. 

FORTUNA NON MUTAT GENUS. 

ERECTED 1891. 




John Diokson Bruns, M. D. 




NORTH FACE OF MONUMENT. 



■ And she points with tremulous hand below, 

To the wasted and worn array 
Of the heroes who strove in the morning glow, 

Of the grandeur that crowned— the Orey. 

Ahis ! for the broken and battered hosts ; 

Frail wrecks from a gory sea, 
Tho" pale as a band in the realm of ghosts, 

Salute them! they fought with Lee."* 



LIEUTENANTS. 

Klin(u<, Theodore K. IIennino, \V. A. 

TIuoiiES, F. Porcher, Sergt.-Major. 



SERGEANTS. 



McCJee, G. W. 

Strohecker, O. ¥j. 

Atkinson, C. S. 
Brantley, B. B. 
Coxe, C. E. 
Cay, Thad. 1.. 
Hughes, W. II. 
Jenkins, Thos. 
Kennedy, John 
McDonald, A. (4. 
Myers, Jacob 
lioux, H. S. 
Smith, T. H. 
Sterling, C. M. 
Seafbrd, II. M. 
Todd, W. H. 
Wharton, John 



Coachman, E. F. 



COEPORALS. 



PRIVATES. 



Smittt, R. Yeadon. 

Jilankensee, Henrj- 
Blum, J. A. 
Chapin, J. R. 
Farrell, H. C. 
Jones, J. (l- 
Janey, Gabriel, 
Liebcr, O. M. 
Middleton, H. A. 
Phelps, G. J J. 
Sweat, Robert 
Smith, J. S. 
Suggs, Arthur 
Taylor, H. C. 
Verdier, W. E. 



Wittemore, Wm. 
TRANSFERRED TO OTHER COMMANDS. 
Pettigrew, J. J.. Brig.-Gen. Gardner, J as. B., Lieut 




•Paul H. Hayne. 




WEST FACE OF MONUMENT. 

i^0. ^^ 25tlt ^tQtmtnt^ ^. ^. 1^. 



" Where some beneath Virginian hills, 
And some by green Atlantic rills, 
Some by the waters of the West, 
A myriad unknown heroes rest. 

" And we can only dimly guess 

What worlds of all this world's distress. 
What utter woe, despair and dearth. 
Their fate has brought to many a hearth."* 




Dickinson, J, H 
Olney, a. L. 



Kellers, F. W 

Anderson, Samuel C 
Ballot, F. C. 
Blackwood, John C 
Beasley, E. B. 
Burrows, I. M. 
Calder, James 
Dooley, Wm. 
Hall, J. 

Jones, J. Walker 
Lee, Lawrence S, 
Mahoney, D. A. 
Muckenfuss, W. C. 
Petit, J. J. 
Proctor, H. G. 
Small, J. J. 
Sheppard, B. T. 



Eoss. J^MEs A., Lieut. 
SERGEANTS. 

Owens, W. C. 
Stevens, J. Adger 
COEFORALS. 

^Newcomer, J. G. 
PRIVATES. 

Baker, H. G. 

Bedault, H. E. 

Breese, Stewart Van V. 

Burrows, S. L. 

Burn, O. J. 

Dotterer. Wm. A. 

Gibson, Walter E. 

Jeway, Wm. C. 

Klinck, John, Jr. 

Lee, J. T. 

Locke, F. Otis 

McCabe, J. W. 

Mellichamp, J. M. 

Patterson, W. N. 

Pritchard, W. 

Eobinson, S. A. 




♦Henry Timrod 



EAST FACE OF MONUMENT. 



^0. ^^ 2i{h It^giment^ ^. i^. ^* 



" Furl that banner, true 'tis gory, 

But 'tis wreathed around with glory, 
And 'twill live in song and story, 
Though its folds are in the dust ; 

" For its fame on brightest pages, 
Sung by poets, penned by sages. 
Shall go sounding down the ages ; 

Furl its folds, though now we must."* 



Blum, Robt. A., Lieut., Commanding. 

LIEUTENANTS. 
Greer, R. W. Taft, R. M.. Bomar, J. E. 



SERGEANTS. 

Lanneau, F., Jr. Marion, J. F. Whitaker, Wm. 



Blakeley, R. 
Caldwell, J. S. 
Grady, E. 
Gray, Alfred, 



PRIVATES. 
O'Hara, W. P. 
Saltus, Samuel 
Taverner. J. H. 
Burns, L. T. 



Gadsden, Thos. N., Jr. 



Gibbes, I. B. 
Gilliland, E. B. 
Oliver, Thomas 
Silcox, James 
Tharin, E. B. 



Transferred to otiher Commands from Cos. A, B, 25th. 

LIEUTENANT-COLONELS. 

Johnson, B. J. DeTreville, Egbert 

Dibble, S. W., Lieut., Adjutant. 

LIEUTENANTS. 

Alston. J. J. P. Glover, Leslie Lesesne, H. R. 

Bee, J. S. Glover, W. E. Reagan, C. H. 

Fuller, E. N., Jr. Gregg, J. B. Seabrook, C. P. 



PRIVATES. 
Plemming, W. H. Graham, G. C. 



Schmidt, J. M. 



Father Rvan. 



75 

ENGAGEMENTS 

IN WHICH THE W. L. I. COMPANIES PARTICIPATED, 

1 860-65. 



APPOMATTOX, 
BATTERY WAGNER, 
BOONESBORO GAP, 
BERMUDA HUNDREDS, 
COLD HARBOR (Lst and 2d), 
CHICKAMAUGA, 
CHARLES CITY ROAD, 
CAMPBELL STATION, 
DEEP BOTTOM, 
DARBY TOWN ROAD, 
DRURY'S BLUFF, 
ELKIN'S LANDING, 
FORT SUMTER, 
FORT FISHER. 
FARMYILLE, TENN., 
FORT ANDERSON, 
FREDERICKSBURG, 
GAINES' MILL, 
KNOXVILLE, 
LANIER'S STATION, 



LEGARE'S POINT, 
MANASSAS (l8t and 2d), 
MALVERN HILL, 
NINE MILE ROAD, 
NEW MARKET, 
PETERSBURG, 
RICHMOND, 
RIDDLE'S SHOPS, 
RIVERS, S. C, 
SECESSION VILLE, 
SEVEN PINES, 
SHARPSBURG, 
SWIFT CREEK, 
THOROUGHFARE GAP, 
TURKEY RIDGE, 
TOWN CREEK, * 
WALTHAL JUNCTION, 
WELDON ROAD, 
WELLS' VALLEY, 
YORKTOWN. 



r^;-$^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



IlillllllllllHIIlSllii 




'■' -Mr 



T^^;^t 



-^' ' ■'■■ 



'img. 




